What is the term for the volume of air exchanged during normal breathing?

The term for the volume of air exchanged during normal breathing is tidal volume. During a typical respiratory cycle, tidal volume represents the amount of air inhaled or exhaled with each breath when a person is at rest. This volume is crucial for assessing overall lung function because it reflects the body’s basic respiratory needs without any additional effort or forced breathing.

In contrast, vital capacity refers to the total amount of air that can be exhaled after a maximum inhalation, which includes not just the tidal volume but also the inspiratory and expiratory reserve volumes. Inspiratory reserve volume is the additional air that can be inhaled after the normal inhalation, and expiratory reserve volume is the additional air that can be exhaled after a normal exhalation. These terms describe specific aspects of lung capacity and function but do not define the volume exchanged during the regular act of breathing, which is accurately captured by tidal volume.