Lung Capacity Lab Report

Introduction Air in the lungs can be related to the terms lung volume and lung capacity. Lung volume is the amount of air used for either inhalation or exhalation (Wilmore, 1969). A person’s lung volume can be determined by a spirometer. A spirometer is an instrument that measures the ventilation of the lungs (22nd, 2013). A spirometer generates a spirogram which is used to measure a person’s total lung capacity (the maximum amount of air the lungs can hold), tidal volume (the amount of air moving into or out of the lungs during one breathing cycle), and functional residual capacity (the volume of air left in the lungs after passive respiration) (Michailopoulos, et al., 2015). A spirometer can also measure additional air that is inhaled and exhaled from a person’s normal respiration called inspiratory reserve volume and expiratory reserve volume (Michailopoulos, et al., 2015).

Lung capacity is the amount of air used for both inhalation and exhalation. Lung capacity is referred to as the vital capacity and is the sum of the tidal volume, inspiratory reserve volume and expiratory reserve volume (Michailopoulos, et al., 2015). Lung capacity can vary among many individuals. The average lung capacity of an adult, human male is six liters. Generally, the total lung capacity of a person depends on their age, genetics, environment, physical fitness, and health condition (Quanjer, et al., 1993). For example, a person living at a high altitude tends to have a larger lung capacity than a person living at a low altitude due to the lower partial pressure of oxygen at higher altitudes (Llapur, et al.,