Final answer:
Respiratory capacities are calculations based on lung volume measurements, comprised of Vital Capacity (VC), Inspiratory Capacity (IC), Functional Residual Capacity (FRC), and Total Lung Capacity (TLC). These capacities help assess overall respiratory health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The respiratory system's capabilities can be understood through certain calculated capacities combining different lung volumes. The four major respiratory capacities are:
- Vital Capacity (VC): The total amount of air that can be exhaled after a maximum inhalation, which includes expiratory reserve volume (ERV), tidal volume (TV), and inspiratory reserve volume (IRV).
- Inspiratory Capacity (IC): The total volume of air that can be inhaled after ending a normal exhalation, comprised of the tidal volume (TV) and inspiratory reserve volume (IRV).
- Functional Residual Capacity (FRC): The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a normal exhalation, calculated by adding the expiratory reserve volume (ERV) to the residual volume (RV).
- Total Lung Capacity (TLC): This is the maximum volume of air that the lungs can hold and is the sum of all pulmonary volumes—tidal volume (TV), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), and residual volume (RV).
Measuring these capacities provides valuable insights into a person's respiratory health.