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Biomedical Basics

Lung volumes and spirometry

  • Created by Henry Stewart Talks
Published on December 31, 2025   5 min

A selection of talks on Physiology & Anatomy

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Welcome to this lecture on lung volumes and spirometry, providing an overview of the importance of lung volumes in respiratory physiology and their role in diagnosing diseases. We will define key lung volumes and capacities and explain how spirometry assesses lung function by measuring air movement focusing on FEV_1, FVC, and their ratio. The lecture will discuss interpreting spirometry patterns to distinguish between obstructive and restrictive diseases and highlight the clinical applications in asthma and COPD. Finally, we will address advanced techniques for measuring lung volumes not captured by spirometry and their relevance in complex cases. Measuring and understanding lung volumes are central to respiratory physiology and important for diagnosing and monitoring respiratory diseases. Lung volumes reflect changes in air within the lungs during breathing and reveal much about the lungs, chest wall, and airways. Spirometry is a key lung function test that quantifies these volumes and helps detect patterns and conditions like asthma and COPD. To build a foundation for interpreting lung function, let's define the major lung volumes and capacities. Tidal volume, TV, is the air breathed in or out during normal quiet breathing. About 500 milliliters in adults. Vital capacity, VC, is the maximum air exhaled after a maximal inhalation while residual volume, RV, remains in the lungs after forced exhalation.

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Lung volumes and spirometry

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