A medical student is studying the physiology of lung compliance. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between alveolar size and surfactant production in maintaining normal lung function?
A. Larger alveoli require more surfactant to maintain stability
B. Smaller alveoli produce more surfactant to prevent collapse
C. Alveolar size and surfactant production are not related
D. Larger alveoli produce less surfactant due to reduced surface tension
E. Smaller alveoli produce less surfactant to maintain surface tension