TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
PHYSIOLOGY
In traditional Chinese medicine, the internal organs are generically referred to as zang-fu and can be classified into three categories according to their physiological function:
– zang organs – solid organs, located more internally in the body (li); they are yin in nature; they generate and store “essence” (jing), qi (energy), blood and body fluids (jin ye)
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- heart
- lungs
- spleen
- liver
- kidneys
– fu organs – hollow organs, located more externally in the body (biao); they are yang in nature; they contain, transport and digest food, and excrete waste
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- small intestine
- large intestine
- stomach
- gallbladder
- urinary bladder
- “triple burner” (san jiao)
– extraordinary fu organs (qi heng zhi fu) – they are called fu, but their function is similar to that of the zang organs, i.e. they do not receive and process food or water, however they store and protect essence and qi
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- brain (nao)
- “ming men” (life gate)
- bone marrow (sui)
- bones (gu)
- pericardium (xin bao)
- uterus (zi gong)
- blood vessels (xue mai)
The organs are connected through a complex system of invisible channels that run within the body like a network, carrying qi and blood to different areas; these channels are called meridians.