Final answer:
Minute ventilation includes the volume of anatomic dead space, volume in conducting zone, and volume in trachea, while alveolar ventilation only includes the volume of air that reaches the alveoli and participates in gas exchange.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between minute ventilation and alveolar ventilation is that minute ventilation includes the volume of anatomic dead space, volume in conducting zone, and volume in trachea, while alveolar ventilation only includes the volume of air that reaches the alveoli and participates in gas exchange.
Minute ventilation is the total volume of air that is moved into and out of the lungs per minute, including both the air that reaches the alveoli and the air that remains in the conducting zone. It is calculated by multiplying the tidal volume (the volume of air inhaled and exhaled in one breath) by the respiratory rate (the number of breaths taken per minute).
Alveolar ventilation, on the other hand, is the volume of air that actually reaches the alveoli and participates in gas exchange. It is calculated by subtracting the dead space volume (the volume of air in the conducting zone that does not participate in gas exchange) from the tidal volume, and then multiplying it by the respiratory rate.