Vital capacity is defined as the maximum amount of air moved in a single respiratory cycle.

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Multiple Choice

Vital capacity is defined as the maximum amount of air moved in a single respiratory cycle.

Vital capacity is the total amount of air you can move during a single, full breath—from a maximal inhalation to a maximal exhalation. It combines three parts: the extra air you can inhale beyond a normal breath (inspiratory reserve), the normal breath itself (tidal volume), and the extra air you can exhale after a normal expiration (expiratory reserve). Add these together and you get the maximum air that can be moved in one respiratory cycle, which is why this option best matches the definition. This differs from residual volume, which is the air left in the lungs after a complete exhale and cannot be voluntarily expelled, and from total lung capacity, which is the maximum air the lungs can hold after a full inhalation (including residual volume).

Vital capacity is the total amount of air you can move during a single, full breath—from a maximal inhalation to a maximal exhalation. It combines three parts: the extra air you can inhale beyond a normal breath (inspiratory reserve), the normal breath itself (tidal volume), and the extra air you can exhale after a normal expiration (expiratory reserve). Add these together and you get the maximum air that can be moved in one respiratory cycle, which is why this option best matches the definition.

This differs from residual volume, which is the air left in the lungs after a complete exhale and cannot be voluntarily expelled, and from total lung capacity, which is the maximum air the lungs can hold after a full inhalation (including residual volume).

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