Os pneumocitos de tipo II son responsables da produción e secreción de [[surfactante]] pulmonar, unha substancia tensoactiva, que facilita a difusión dos gases ao reducir a tensión superficial alveolar (a maioría do cal é o [[fosfolípido]] [[dipalmitoilfosfatidilcolina]]). Os fosfolípidos surfactantes almacénanse nos pneumocitos tipo II nos chamados corpos lamelares, que son [[vesícula]]s especializadas. A liberación do surfactante dos corpos lamelares ocorre desde as primeiras respiracións do recén nado en adiante.
Type II cells are responsible for the production and secretion of [[surfactant]] (the majority of which are [[dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine]]), a group of [[phospholipid|phospholipids]] that reduce the alveolar surface tension. Surfactant phospholipids are stored in Type II pneumocytes in lamellar bodies, which are specialized vesicles. Release of surfactant in lamellar bodies occurs from an infant's first breath onwards.
Os pneumocitos tipo II poden dividirse por [[mitose]] nos alvéolos e reemprazar os pneumocitos tipo I danados.
Type II pneumocytes can replicate in the alveoli and will replicate to replace damaged [[Type I pneumocyte]]s.
O [[xene]] humano [[MUC1]], aasociado humancos genepneumocitos associated with typetipo II pneumocytes, hasfoi beenidentificado identifiedcomo asun amarcador marker indo [[lungcáncer cancerde pulmón]]. <ref name="pmid9850098">{{cite journal |author=Jarrard JA, Linnoila RI, Lee H, Steinberg SM, Witschi H, Szabo E |title=MUC1 is a novel marker for the type II pneumocyte lineage during lung carcinogenesis |journal=Cancer Res. |volume=58 |issue=23 |pages=5582–9 |year=1998 |month=December |pmid=9850098 |doi= |url=http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=9850098}}</ref>
