Total Lung Capacity Essay

The heart may have the sinoatrial node (SA node) to trigger contraction, but in order for us to breath our nervous system has to signal for us to begin the process of ventilation (breathing). Our brain stem has three parts to it, but only the pons and medulla oblongata play a key role in breathing. The medulla helps set the respiratory rhythm by receiving and sending impulses to a bundle of neurons called the ventral respiratory group to the phrenic nerve to bring about contraction in the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles. All this only happens though due to the sensors of the chemoreceptors. The chemoreceptors located in the medulla and carotid and aortic bodies detect a rise in carbon dioxide (CO2). There are many effectors when

Total lung capacity (TLC) is the measure of how much air is in the lungs after a breath. Then the amount of tidal volume (TV) is how much air a person takes in during inspiration. An individual exhales naturally, but can also make themselves breath faster. When an individual forces an expiration it can be measured by forced expiratory volume (FCV), which is how much air a person forces out during their breath. (RV) which is known as residual volume is how much air remains in the lungs after a forced expiration. Vital capacity (VC) this is what air is left in the lungs after a forced expiration. This leads into what forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)is, which is how much air an individual can breath out in one second out of four seconds. Four seconds in the about of time it should take a normal individual to release all of their breath. This is different for an individual with a disease such as asthma because it is an obstructive disease which causes an individual the have difficulties in breathing. During a flare up an individual has a longer forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Instead of being approximately four seconds it takes an individual approximately fifteen seconds to expel of the the air during a forced