1. The potential cubic contents of a cavity or receptacle. 2. Power to do. SEE ALSO: volume. [L. capax, able to contain; fr. capio, to take]
- buffer c. the amount of hydrogen ion (or hydroxyl ion) required to bring about a specific pH change in a specified volume of a buffer. SEE ALSO: buffer value.
- carrying c. an estimate of the number of people that a region, a nation, or the planet can sustain.
- cranial c. the cubic content of the skull obtained by determining the cubage of small shot, seeds, or beads required to fill the skull.
- diffusing c. (symbol, D, followed by subscripts indicating location and chemical species) the amount of oxygen taken up by pulmonary capillary blood per minute per unit average oxygen pressure gradient between alveolar gas and pulmonary capillary blood; units are: ml/min/mm Hg; also applied to other gases such as carbon monoxide, which is used in the standard clinical measure of diffusing c..
- forced vital c. (FVC) vital c. measured with the subject exhaling as rapidly as possible; data relating volume, expiratory flow, and time form the basis for other pulmonary function tests, e.g., flow-volume curve, forced expiratory volume, forced expiratory time, forced expiratory flow.
- functional residual c. (FRC) the volume of gas remaining in the lungs at the end of a normal expiration; it is the sum of expiratory reserve volume and residual volume. SYN: functional residual air.
- inspiratory c. the volume of air that can be inspired after a normal expiration; it is the sum of the tidal volume and the inspiratory reserve volume. SYN: complementary air.
- oxygen c. the maximum quantity of oxygen that will combine chemically with the hemoglobin in a unit volume of blood; normally it amounts to 1.34 ml of O2 per g of Hb or 20 ml of O2 per 100 ml of blood.
- respiratory c. SYN: vital c..
- total lung c. (TLC) the inspiratory c. plus the functional residual c.; i.e., the volume of air contained in the lungs at the end of a maximal inspiration; also equals vital c. plus residual volume.
- vital c. (VC) the greatest volume of air that can be exhaled from the lungs after a maximum inspiration. SYN: respiratory c..
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1 a) the ability to hold, receive, store, or accommodate
b) a measure of content: the measured ability to contain: VOLUME <a beaker with a \capacity of one liter> see VITAL CAPACITY
c ) (1) CAPACITANCE (2) the quantity of electricity that a battery can deliver under specified conditions
2) legal qualification, competency, power, or fitness
3 a) power to grasp and analyze ideas and cope with problems
b) blended power, strength, and ability <encourage physical activity to the limit of the child's \capacity (Morris Fishbein)>
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ca·pac·i·ty (kə-pasґĭ-te) [L. capacitas, from capere to take] 1. power or ability to hold, retain, or contain, or the ability to absorb. 2. the volume or potential volume of material (solid, liquid, or gas) that can be held or contained. 3. capacitance. 4. mental ability to receive, accomplish, endure, or understand; sometimes specifically the cognitive ability to make informed medical decisions.Medical dictionary. 2011.