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Foundations 1 > Functions of the Liver > Flashcards

Functions of the Liver Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 8 “functions” of the Liver?

A
  • stores Blood
  • ensures the smooth flow of Qi in all directions
  • it controls the sinews/tendons
  • manifests in the nails
  • opens into the eyes (eyes receive light, like leaves)
  • controls tears
  • houses the Ethereal Soul (Hun)
  • affected by Anger (‘anger can happen when Liver’s strategy isn’t deployed’)
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2
Q

What are the Liver correlations to smell, colour, taste, climate, sound?

A
  • rancid (rancid meat)
  • green
  • sour
  • wind
  • shouting
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3
Q

What does the Hun (Ethereal Soul) provide for the Mind (Shen)?

A
  • inspiration, creativity, life dreams, sense of direction in life
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4
Q

What is responsible for our capacity to recover energy, and contributes to our body’s resistance to exterior pathogenic factors?

A

Liver-Blood

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5
Q

What ‘role’ is the Liver often compared to?

A

Army General (The Grand Strategist)

  • responsible for overall planning of body functions
  • also said to influence our capacity to plan our life
  • (rhythms, foresight, make sure all soldiers/Qi go where they’re supposed to)
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6
Q

What does the Liver HATE?

A

WIND

  • Liver loves order, rhythm
  • Wind causes disorder, dispersion, ruins plans
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7
Q

What does the Liver tend towards?

A

Stagnation

  • things accumulate around it
  • it needs a ton of resources in order to grow, has to wait until all resources are lined up, takes time (as with all things Liver)
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8
Q

S&S of Liver disharmonies:

A

pain, distension, emotional irregularities (all of them- when things don’t move/stagnate, causes emotional or physical pain)

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9
Q

T/F: Eye strain can cause Liver disharmony

A

True

  • Liver opens into eyes
  • blue light, excessive screen time = damaging to Liver
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10
Q

What are the Yin aspects of the Liver?

A
  • stores Blood, regulates Blood (Blood volume, menstruation, Blood purification/regeneration)
  • nourishes skin, eyes, tendons/sinews
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11
Q

What Liver condition might manifest as blurred vision, floaters, colourblindness, eye dryness?

A

Liver Xu (deficiency)

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12
Q

What Liver condition might manifest as bloodshot/red eyes, painful/burning eyes?

A

Liver Heat

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13
Q

Which side do pathologies related to the Liver often arise from?

A

The left side

arising from right side = Lung

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14
Q

T/F: The Liver is the ‘resolute organ’, and relates to an indomitable spirit and ambition, courage, and resoluteness?

A

True

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15
Q

Liver controlling sinews/tendons, which controls smooth movement and good muscle action is an example of what 5 elements relationship?

A

Wood controlling Earth

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16
Q

What is the Yang aspect of the Liver’s function?

A
  • ensuring smooth flow of Qi in all directions
  • necessary for proper digestion; bile production (GB partner); emotional state (stagnation = anger, frustration, depression)
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17
Q

When does the Liver help restore a person’s energy?

A
  • at rest, Blood returns to Liver, contributes to restoring energy
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18
Q

What is the Liver’s role in defense from exterior pathogenic factors?

A
  • function of storing and regulating blood volume
  • irrigates and nourishes skin and muscles at appropriate time (during excercise), helps strengthen their resistance against pathogenic factors
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19
Q

How would stagnant Liver-Blood affect menstruation?

A
  • painful periods, premenstrual tension, dark clots
20
Q

How would Liver-Blood Heat affect menstruation?

A
  • heavy periods
21
Q

How would Liver-Blood deficiency affect menstruation?

A
  • scanty periods / amenorrhea
22
Q

If Liver-Blood fails to moisten and nourish the sinews, what happens?

A

muscle cramps and contraction of tendons

23
Q

How might Internal Wind affecting the Liver manifest?

A
  • convulsions, tremors (in Chinese Medicine, tremors are thought to be due to ‘shaking of the tendons’)
24
Q

If Liver function is abnormal, it might affect the quality of the Blood (like an improper storing medium will spoil food). How might this affect the skin?

A

give rise to skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema

25
Q

The Liver function of ensuring smooth flow of Qi is called “shu xie”, what does this mean?

A

shu- ‘to dredge, disperse, scatter’
xie- ‘to let out, discharge, release, vent’

*interesting correlation w/ tendency towards stagnation- holding on to things inappropriately

26
Q

What does the smooth flow of Liver Qi affect? (3)

A
  • emotional state
  • digestion
  • secretion of bile
27
Q

What does the smooth flow of Liver Qi (on a physical level) mirror?

A

the smooth ‘coming and going’ of the Ethereal Soul (Hun), on a psychic level

28
Q

What physical sensations might accompany frustration, depression, or repressed anger caused by obstructed circulation of Qi?

A
  • oppression of the chest
  • lump in throat
  • hypochondrial/abdominal distension
  • in women, premenstrual tension including depression, irritability, distension of breasts
29
Q

What might loose stools indicate in relation to Liver?

A
  • SP Qi descending (rebellious), Liver Qi (horizontally rebellious) invading Spleen, obstructing it’s functions
30
Q

Pain = ?

A

stasis

31
Q

How might Liver-Blood deficiency affect the sinews?

A

cramping/ contractions / spasms
numbness
tingling
impaired extension/flexion of muscles

32
Q

stiffness, rigidity, pain of joints might = ?

A

Liver-Blood Stasis

33
Q

What may cause watery eyes?

A

Liver-Yang rising

34
Q

Is the Ethereal Soul (Hun) yin or yang in nature?

A
  • yang
  • ‘spirit’ and ‘cloud’ characters
  • at death survives the body and returns to the world of subtle, non-material energies
35
Q

What can a lack of direction in life and mental confusion be compared to?

A
  • the wandering of the Hun (Ethereal Soul) alone through space and time
  • happens when Hun is not firmly rooted by (flourishing) Liver-Blood
36
Q

What might cause a sensation as if you are floating right before falling asleep?

A
  • severe deficiency of Liver-Yin or Liver-Blood

- the Hun is not rooted in Blood, may leave the body temporarily at night during sleep or just before sleep

37
Q

What does is mean when the Hun is described as, “the coming and going of the Mind (Shen)”?

A
  • gives Shen the necessary other dimension of life, ie dreams, visions, aims, inspiration, creativity, ideas, projects
  • without these, Mind would be sterile, person would suffer from depression
38
Q

Describe the interdependent relationship of the Hun and the Shen.

A
  • Shen needs Hun for creativity, inspiration, vision, etc
  • without this, person would suffer depression (flat, sterile life)
  • Hun needs Shen to keep its “coming and going” under check and integrate all its ideas into psyche in an orderly fashion (Hun is like an ‘ocean’ of ideas)
  • too much coming and going = chaotic behaviour, mania (too much material to be integrated)
  • too little coming and going= little inspiration, vision, creativity = depression
39
Q

What does greenish vaginal discharge indicate?

A

dampness in the Liver channel

40
Q

T/F: the Liver controls planning.

A

True

41
Q

T/F: the Liver is a resolute organ.

A

True

42
Q

T/F: the Liver influences rising and growth.

A

True

43
Q

T/F: The Liver is a regulating, balancing, and harmonizing organ.

A

True

44
Q

T/F: The Liver arises from the Left side.

A

True

45
Q

What is the only manifestation of Liver-Qi deficiency?

A

timidity, lack of courage, indecision

46
Q

What is irritability, outbursts of anger, a red face, dizziness, tinnitus, tinnitus, headaches?

A
  • separation of Yin and Yang and excessive rising of Liver-Yang or Liver-Fire

Foundations 1 (15 decks)

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