The average volume of gas inhaled in one respiratory cycle is known as?

The average volume of gas inhaled in one respiratory cycle is known as?

• A. Minute volume
• B. Alveolar volume
• C. Tidal volume
• D. None of the above

Answer: (C)

Tidal volume is the amount of air you move in or out with a normal breath. In a healthy resting adult it’s about 500 mL, though it varies with body size and conditioning. This is the average volume inhaled per respiratory cycle, which is why it’s the correct term here. Minute volume, by contrast, is the total air moved per minute (tidal volume multiplied by breaths per minute). A portion of tidal volume reaches the gas-exchange units, while some air remains in the dead space; the air that actually reaches the alveoli per breath is the alveolar ventilation, roughly tidal volume minus dead space, times the respiratory rate.

Tidal volume is the amount of air you move in or out with a normal breath. In a healthy resting adult it’s about 500 mL, though it varies with body size and conditioning. This is the average volume inhaled per respiratory cycle, which is why it’s the correct term here. Minute volume, by contrast, is the total air moved per minute (tidal volume multiplied by breaths per minute). A portion of tidal volume reaches the gas-exchange units, while some air remains in the dead space; the air that actually reaches the alveoli per breath is the alveolar ventilation, roughly tidal volume minus dead space, times the respiratory rate.