Total lung capacity depends on
The extent to which the lungs will expand for each unit increase in transpulmonary pressure (if enough time is allowed to reach equilibrium) is called the lung compliance.The total compliance of both lungs together in the normal adult human averages about 200 milliliters of air per centimeter of water transpulmonary pressure. That is, every time the transpulmonary pressure increases 1 centimeter of water, the lung volume, after 10 to 20 seconds, will expand 200 milliliters.The total lung capacity is the maximum volume to which the lungs can be expanded with the greatest possible effo (about 5800 milliliters); It is equal tothe vital capacity plus the residual volume.Ref: Guyton; 13th edition; Chapter 38 Pulmonary Ventilation
Size of airway
Closing tidal volume
Lung compliance
Residual volume
General physiology