Final answer:
Total lung capacity (TLC) is the sum of all lung volumes and represents the maximum amount of air a person's lungs can hold after a full inhalation, which is true. TLC is about 6000 mL for males and 4200 mL for females and does not typically reflect normal breathing but the lungs' maximum capability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that total lung capacity is the maximum amount of air a lung can hold is TRUE. The total lung capacity (TLC) is indeed the sum of all the lung volumes, which includes tidal volume (TV), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), and residual volume (RV). This is the total amount of air that a person's lungs can hold after a maximal inhalation effort. TLC, which can reach up to 6000 mL in males and about 4200 mL in females, represents the lungs' maximum capacity, but the lungs usually do not operate at this maximal level during normal breathing.
Lung volumes are individual components of breathing, such as the amount inhaled or exhaled during a breath, whereas capacities, such as the TLC, are measurements that combine two or more volumes. The vital capacity (VC), which is the total amount of air exhaled after a full inhalation, is another example of a lung capacity and is calculated by summing TV, ERV, and IRV, but it does not include the residual volume.