Class 11 NEET Biology Breathing and Exchange of Gases

(b) : Vital capacity is the amount of air which one can inhale or exhale with maximum effort. It is the sum of tidal volume, inspiratory reserve volume and expiratory reserve volume, while total lung capacity is the total amount of air present in the lungs and the respiratory passage after a maximum inspiration. It is the sum of the vital capacity and the residual volume. TLC=VC+RV. So, vital capacity is also total lung capacity (TLC) - residual volume (RV).