Breathing and

Exchange of
gases
Part III
Respiratory Volumes and capacities
• Lung volumes are also known as respiratory volumes.
• It refers to the volume of gas in the lungs at a given time
during the respiratory cycle
• Lung volumes measurement is an integral part of pulmonary
function test.
• These volumes tend to vary, depending on the depth of respiration, gender, age,
and in certain respiratory diseases
• A spirometer is an apparatus for measuring the volume of air
inspired and expired by the lungs.
Respiratory volumes
Tidal Volume (TV):
• Volume of air inspired (inhaled) or expired (exhaled) during a normal breathing cycle.
• It refers to amount of air that can be inhaled and exhaled at rest.
• (TV = Normal inhalation and normal exhalation)
• It is approx. 500 ml, i.e.,
• Normal breathing rate is 12 to 15 times per minute
• A healthy man can inspire or expire approximately 6000 to 8000 mL of air per minute.
Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV):/Forced inspiration
• Additional volume of air, a person can inspire by a forcible inspiration. i.e the volume of air that can
be inhaled forcibly after normal inhalation
• (normal inhalation followed by forceful inhalation)
• This averages to 2500mL to 3000 mL.
Pulmonary Capacity
Inspiratory Capacity (IC):
• Total volume of air a person can inspire after a normal expiration.
• This includes tidal volume(normal inhalation) and inspiratory reserve
volume (forcible inhalation)
• Normal inhalation + Forced Inhalation
IC = TV+IRV
IC= 500 + 2500 to 3000 = 3000 to 3500 ml
Respiratory volumes
Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV):/Forced expiration
• Additional volume of air, a person can expire by a forcible expiration. i.e the volume of air that can
be exhaled forcibly after normal exhalation
• This averages 1000mL to 1100 mL.
ERV is normal exhalation followed by forced exhalation
Expiratory Capacity (EC):
• Total volume of air a person can exhale after a normal inhalation
• This includes tidal volume and expiratory reserve volume
EC= TV+ERV
EC = 500 +1000 to 1100 = 1500 to 1600 ml
Pulmonary Capacity
Vital Capacity (VC):
• The maximum volume of air a person can breathe out after a forced
inspiration (It is the total amount of air exhaled after maximal
inhalation.)
(VC is forced inhalation followed by forced exhalation)
• The value is about3500 to 4500mL
VC = TV + IRV+ ERV
Respiratory volume
Residual Volume (RV):
• Volume of air remaining in the lungs even after a forcible expiration.
• This averages 1100 mL to 1200 mL.
Functional Residual Capacity (FRC):
Volume of air that will remain in the lungs after a normal expiration.
This includes ERV+RV.
FRC= ERV+RV
= 1100+1200=2300 ml
Pulmonary capacity
Total Lung Capacity (TLC):
• Total volume of air accommodated in the lungs at the end of a forced
inspiration.
• This includes
• TLC= TV+ IRV+ERV +RV
or
• vital capacity + residual volume.
• (VC= TV+ IRV+ERV )
=3500 to 4500 + 1500 = 5000 to 6000 ml, (5 to 6 L)
Regulation in Breathing
• Respiratory rhythm is maintained by the neural system.
Respiratory rhythm centre :
• It is a specialised centre present in the medulla region of the
brain that maintains the respiratory rhythm.
Pneumotaxic centre
• It is an another centre present in the pons region of the brain
that can moderate the functions of the respiratory rhythm centre.
• Neural signal from this centre can reduce the duration of inspiration
and thereby alter the respiratory rate
chemosensitive area
• Adjacent to the rhythm centre, there is a chemosensitive area which is
highly sensitive to CO2 and hydrogen ions.
Regulation in Breathing
• Increase in CO2 and hydrogen ions activate chemosensitive
area which in turn activates respiratory rhythm centre.
• Respiratory rhythm centre makes changes in the respiratory
process so that co2 can be eliminated from the body.
• Aortic arch and carotid artery also have receptors which can
recognise changes in CO2 and H+ concentration and send
necessary signals to the rhythm centre for remedial actions.
• The role of oxygen in the regulation of respiratory rhythm is
quite insignificant
 DISORDERS OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Asthma
It is a difficulty in breathing causing wheezing due to
inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles

Emphysema
It is a chronic disorder in which alveolar walls are damaged due to
which respiratory surface is decreased. One of the major causes of
this is cigarette smoking.
DISORDERS OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Occupational Respiratory Disorders:
• In certain industries, especially those involving grinding or stone-breaking,long exposure can give rise to
inflammation leading to fibrosis (proliferation of fibrous tissues) and thus causing serious lung damage.
• Workers in such industries should wear protective masks.