Measuring lung capacity Flashcards
What are the different components of lung volume which can be measured?
- Tidal volume.
- Vital capacity.
- Inspiratory reserve volume.
- Expiratory reserve volume.
- Residual amount.
- Total lung capacity.
Tidal volume (TV)
Volume of air inhaled and exhaled during a single breath at rest (0.5dm^3).
Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)
Volume of air that can be inhaled above the tidal volume - when you breathe in as much as possible (3dm^3).
Expiratory reserve volume (ERV)
Volume of air that can be exhaled below the tidal volume - when you breathe out as much as possible (1dm^3).
Vital capacity
Total volume of air that can be exhaled after maximum inhalation. VC= TV+IRS+ERS.
Residual volume (RV)
Volume of air which remains in your lungs after maximum exhalation (1.5dm^3).
Total lung capacity
Total volume of air within the lungs.
Vc + residual volume.
Breathing rate
Number of breaths taken per minute.
Ventilation rate
- Total volume of air breathed in one minute.
- Tidal volume x breathing rate.
Oxygen uptake
Decrease in the volume of gas in the spirometer chamber.
What is a spirometer used for?
Used to measure the volumes of gas breathed in and out under different conditions.
