PULMONARY VENTILATION

PULMONARY VENTILATION
• Inflow and outflow of air between the
atmosphere and lung alveoli
Pulmonary volumes:
• Tidal volume: volume of air inspired and expired
with each normal breath.(500ml)
• Inspiratory reserve volume: extra volume of air
that can be inspired in after normal tidal volume.
(3000ml)
• Expiratory reserve volume: extra volume of air that can be expired
by forceful expiration after the end of normal tidal volume.(1100ml)
• Residual volume: volume of air still remaining in the lungs after the
most forceful expiration.(1200ml)
• Pulmonary capacities:
• 1.Inspiratory capacity:
• combination of tidal volume and inspiratory reserve
volume
• This is the amount of air that a person can breath
beginning at normal expiratory level and ending at
maximum lung distention (enlargement).(3500ml)
2.FUNCTIONAL RESIDUAL CAPACITY
• Combination of expiratory reserve volume and residual volume
• The amount of lung remaining in the lung at the end of normal
expiration.(2300ml)

3. Vital capacity
• Combination of inspiratory reserve volume, tidal volume and
expiratory reserve volume
• Max. amount of air that a person can expel from the lungs after
first filling the lungs to their max. extent and then expiring to the
max. limit
4. TOTAL LUNG CAPACITY:
• Combination of vital capacity and residual volume
• max. volume to which the lungs can be expanded with the greatest possible inspiratory
effort.(5800ml)
ALVEOLAR VENTILATION
• Alveolar ventilation is the continual supply of air
to the gaseous exchange areas of the lungs
where the air is in close proximity (next) to
pulmonary blood.
Rate of Alveolar Ventilation
• Total volume of new air entering the alveoli each
minute (4200ml/min)
DEAD SPACE
• Those areas of respiratory tract where gases are present but do
not take part in gas exchange. (150ml young adults and increase
with age)
Anatomical Dead Space
• The volume of all spaces of respiratory system besides the gas
exchange areas
Physiological Dead Space
• Sometimes some areas of alveoli are nonfunctional. When
alveolar dead space is included in the total measurement of dead
space this is then called physiological dead space
COMPOSITION OF AIR INSPIRED:
• Inspired Air: Assume breathing dry air: mixture of Oxygen (21%) and Nitrogen (79%); if air
not dry, variable amount of water vapor, depending on relative humidity and temperature
• Tracheal Air: Inspired air is saturated with water as it passes along the moist airways. Water
content depends on temperature; at core (deep) body temperature of 37 C. As a result of
addition of water, O2 and N2 are diluted.
• Alveolar Air: Inspired air is split; some enters the alveoli and some remains in the airways
(anatomical dead space)

Composition of Alveolar Air

• O2 decrease, due to oxygen uptake
• CO2 increase, due to carbon dioxide production
• O2 decrease and CO2 increase depends on metabolic rate versus alveolar ventilation
EXPIRED AIR
• Mixture of Alveolar Air and Tracheal Air that remained in the Dead Space
• Exhaled air has high level of CO2 and water vapor while inhaled air has O2 and very little
amount or no water vapor.

Component Atmospheric Air % Expired Air %

Nitrogen (inert gas) 78.62 74.9

Oxygen 20.85 15.3

Carbon dioxide 0.03 3.6

Water 0.5 6.2

100 100
REFERENCE
• Concise physiology by Raja Shahzad Gull
• Wikipedia.com
• Google.com
• Guyton’s physiology