Respiratory Volumes and Capacities

Introduction

The respiratory system starts from the nose to lungs in human beings and is different from other organisms. Now we are going to see the volumes and capacities of this system. The respiratory system is a vital system of the human body; this system; forms inhalation and exhalation of oxygen constantly in the human body, which keeps the human body alive.

Lungs are the central organ primary of our body; they do a process called ‘breathing’ simultaneously throughout the life of animals. They also have lungs; their lung structure varies from human beings, their capacities to hold or release pressure are not similar to human beings. Lungs are the organ of the respiratory system, which includes other organs like the nose, nostrils, oesophagus, bronchioles, and alveoli. These organs can hold a certain amount of pressure.Imbalance Air volumes and capacities can lead to some effects in the respiratory or pulmonary system.

Lung Volumes

Lung volumes or respiratory volumes definition: The pressure of gas present at the respiratory cycle. Generally, it’s six litres for human beings. Lung volume can also be termed as respiratory volume. There are four types of volumes in the lung; they all have different average figures for checking their certain pressure. ‘Spirometer’ is a device used to calculate the potential pressure one can breathe in one cycle of inhaling and exhaling. Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), Tidal volume (TV), expiratory volume (EV), and residual volume (RV) are the four types of lung volumes. The total of these volumes is called Respiratory volume, which indicates the overall health and condition of the lung.

Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV)

Inspiratory reserve volume is the maximum volume of the air one can inhale during breathing or deep breaths after standard(or regular) inhalation. It usually is between 2.5-3.5 litres for healthy males and 2 – 3 litres for healthy females. [1 litre = 1000ml]

Tidal Volume (TV)

Tidal volume is often denoted as ‘TV’ pressure. Tidal volume is calculated upon the pressure of the amount of air inhaled or exhaled during the normal respiratory functioning in real-time. It is an average of 0.5 litres (500ml) for healthy males and females.

Expiratory Reserve Volumes (ERV)

Expiratory reserve volume, the pressure, is calculated as the amount of pressure one can release the air intentionally during exhalation after standard exhalation is done, which ranges from 1 – 1.5 litres in males and 0.5 – 1 litres in females.

Residual Volume (RV)

The amount of air left in the lungs after ERV is termed Residual volume. Which is generally 1.2 litres in healthy males and 1.1 litres in healthy females.

Lung Capacities

Total lung capacity is used to determine the overall health of the lung. The addition of different volumes interprets different lung capacities. Lungs volume means different pressures present in respiratory functioning, while the term ‘lung capacities’ is focused upon the limits of the respiratory system. As lung volumes, there are also four types of lung capacities: Total lung capacity, Vital capacity, Inspiratory and functional residual capacity.

Total lung capacity

The total amount of maximum gas one can inhale during the respiration cycle, including tidal volume, is generally 6 litres for healthy humans. Total lung capacity formula:

Total lung capacity = Tidal volume (TV) + Expiratory reserve volume (ERV) + Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV) + Residual volume (RV). As total lung capacity’s formula describes, we can say the overall results of all volumes determine total lung capacity. The Result of total lung capacity can be used to predict the health and condition of the lung.

Vital Capacity

Vital capacity tests the maximum limits of the lung, the total amount of gas that a human can inhale after a forced exhalation, and vice-versa. Vital capacity also indicates the health of the lung. Imbalance in this capacity means the lung is not in proper health. Lack of vital capacity indicates congested lungs, where the diaphragm doesn’t move incorrectly, or our lungs don’t expand fully. Vital capacity general formula:

Vital capacity = Tidal volume (TV) + Expiratory reserve volume (ERV) + Inspiratory reserve volume. Vital capacity is generally 4.8 litres for healthy males and 3.1 litres for females.

Inspiratory capacity

The total volume of inhalation that a human can do is their inspiratory capacity. Which generally ranges between 3.4-3.7 litres for healthy males and 2.4 litres for healthy females. The formula of inspiratory capacity: Inspiratory capacity = Tidal volume (TV) + Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV).

Functional Residual Capacity

The total amount of air left in the lungs after exhalation is termed functional residual capacity. Which are 2.4 litres for healthy males and 1.8 litres for healthy females. The formula of functional residual capacity:

Functional residual capacity (FRC) = Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV) + Residual Volume (RV)

Factors Affecting Lung Volume and Capacity

Several factors do impact the volume and capacities of the lungs. I.e., body structure, fitness, nature of their area, etc., are some of those factors. The human body has more affinity for oxygen at higher altitudes, which makes the respiration process faster and makes lung capacity and volumes stronger than average human body volumes and capacities. The person living at average or lower altitudes have less affinity towards oxygen, the respiration process is slow as compared to a person living at a higher altitude, and hence, they have less lung capacity. Fitness is also an impactful factor to increase the volumes and capacities of the body. A fit and healthy body has a higher diffusion rate of oxygen towards blood flow than a plump body. The gender of a subject also affects the volumes and capacities of the lungs.

Conclusion

Above from here, we came through respiratory volumes and capacities. We learned their maximum and minimum potential hold, different capacities, different pressures, results of imbalances.