Final answer:
The condition where pulmonary alveoli become permanently inflated and lose elasticity, causing conscious effort for exhalation is called emphysema, a form of COPD often caused by smoking.
Step-by-step explanation:
The condition in which pulmonary alveoli lose their elasticity and become permanently inflated, causing the patient to consciously exhale is known as emphysema. Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) predominantly caused by smoking. It leads to the destruction of the walls of the alveoli, which decreases the surface area available for gas exchange. As a result, lung elastic recoil is compromised, and the trapping of air after exhalation increases because the damaged alveolar walls can no longer recoil properly. This trapped air causes excessive lung inflation, and patients with emphysema often have to make a conscious effort to exhale fully, leading to shortness of breath and other respiratory issues.