Final answer:
COPD is characterized by chronic poor airflow and a progressive reduction in the elasticity of alveoli due to connective tissue breakdown, often resulting from tobacco smoking. Pneumonia, another disease described, involves alveoli becoming filled with fluid. The flow-volume loops for these diseases would differ, with COPD showing reduced expiratory flow.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is best represented by the descriptions that mention chronic poor airflow, a cough that produces phlegm, and a reduction in the number and elasticity of alveoli. When looking at descriptions of various diseases, the one stating that 'Alveoli become inflamed and fill with fluid' most accurately represents pneumonia. In regard to flow-volume loops, they are not provided here, but generally, COPD is characterized by a loop that shows a reduced expiratory flow due to air trapping and decreased lung recoil. COPD is often caused by tobacco smoking and results in a breakdown of connective tissues within the lungs, leading to the characteristic symptoms and lung changes associated with this obstructive disease.