TCM tongue and pulse applying pathogenic factors and vital substances Flashcards
What are the vital substances?
Qi, Blood, Body Fluids, Essence
What is Qi?
The root of the human body; the stem & leaves would dry up without a root
What are the Qi functions?
Promoting: Growth & development
Warming: Warmth is maintained by re-adjusting Qi
Defence: Wei Qi protects the body from exterior attacks
Checking: Maintains homeostasis
Nourishing: Ying Qi of Nutritive Qi
Qi Hua: Function of the organs (ex: Lung Qi=lung function)
What are the types of Qi?
-Yuan Qi
- Food Qi
- Zong Qi
-Ying Qi
-Wei Qi
-Zang-Fu (organ) Qi
Describe Yuan Qi:
-rooted in the kidney’s and transported by San Jiao
-The greater the Yuan Qi, the greater the Zang-Fu activity (vice-versa)
-Part of us that is inherited; derived from pre-heaven essence
-Needs to be supplemented and nourished by food essence
-Can be depleted by: Excess activity/lack of rest long term, prolonged illness which requires more Qi, Increased ejaculations for males, Increased pregnancies for females
Describe food qi (Gu Qi):
-Grains of Qi
-First stage in the transformation of food into Qi
- Food enters the stomach and first ‘rotted & ripened’ and then transformed into food Qi by the spleen. (this form is not yet usable by the body)
-Food Qi rises to the chest (lungs) and combines with air to form Zong Qi (gathering Qi)
-Food Qi also goes to the heart, where it is transformed to blood
Describe Zong Qi:
-formed from the interaction between food Qi and air
-closely related to the function of the heart and lungs
-assists the heart and lungs to push Qi and blood to the limbs
-also gathers in the throat and assists in speech
Describe Zhen Qi:
-True Qi
-Last stage of transformation of Qi
-Vital Qi, righteous Qi
-Gathering Qi is transformed to true Qi catalyzed by original Qi
-Assumes two forms: Ying Qi & Wei Qi
Describe Ying Qi:
-Nutritive Qi; interior
-From food extracted by the spleen & stomach
-A refined Qi made from food, air, and yuan Qi
-not food Qi which is unrefined
-Nutritive: Nourishes the internal organs; Closely linked to blood that flows in the channels and blood vessels
(Yin in nature)
Describe Wei Qi:
-Defends against external pathogens such as Wind, Heat, Cold, and Dampness
-Protects the muscular surface
-controls the opening of the pores
-Moistens the skin and hair
-Makes adjustments of the body temp
-Warms up the Zang-Fu organs
-The stronger the Wei Qi the better the immune system.
-Lives between the skin and muscles
-warms skin and muscles
-nourishes skin and muscles
-body temp regulation
Describe Zang-Fu organs Qi:
Zang Organs- Yin organs- Solid organs
Fu organs-Yang organs-hollow organs
What are other types of Qi to consider?
Meridian Qi, and Zhong Qi: middle Qi
Describe the vital substance of Blood:
-Formed from mainly Food Qi
-Food Qi from the spleen and stomach rises to the chest where it is acted upon by yuan Qi
-At this point it is known as blood
-But blood is not complete (blood) until it is sent to the heart where heart turns blood red
-“Heart governs Blood”
What are the functions of blood?
-Nourishment & moisture: MOvement of the eyes & 4 limbs
-Nourishes hair, sinews, bones & bowels
-Foundation of mental activities; houses the mind
- Circulates with Ying Qi
-Determines menstruation
List information about the blood:
-Qi is the commander of blood and blood is the mother of Qi
-Qi is yang and it moves blood
-blood is yin and it gives the body nutritional substance to carry
Blood in relation to organs:
-The heart is where blood is created from food Qi. “ The heart governs blood”
-The spleen supports keeping blood in its place. “The spleen makes blood”
-The Liver stores blood
Describe Body fluids:
-All the fluids within the body
-sweat, saliva, urine, tears, digestive juices
-Functions to moisten skin, muscles, organs, mucous membranes and orifices
-Classified as either Jin (thin) or Ye (Thick)
Describe Thin Fluids - Jin:
-Circulate with defensive Qi
-Controlled by the Lung
-Warm and Nourish muscles and moisten skin
-Clear and watery in nature
-Found on mucous membranes and the skin
-Becomes the fluid portion of blood
Describe Thick fluids- Ye:
-Circulate with nutritive Qi
-Controlled by the spleen & kidney
-Lubricates joint cavities, bone marrow and CSF
-Turbid and viscous in nature
-Found in the bowels, brain, bones and viscera
What is fluid metabolism?
-Begins in the stomach where fluids are churned and separated
-Spleen further separates the fluid and ascends the pure to the lung and descends the impure to the small intestine
-The small intestine also functions to separate pure from impure and sends the pure to the stomach and the spleen and the impure to the large intestine or urinary bladder
-The lungs send the more refined portion to the skin, and the less refined portion to the kidneys
-The kidneys send steam up to the lungs to keep them moist
Describe essence (Jing):
-Primary substance for growth and development
“pre-heaven essence”
What are the two essence types?
-Prenatal Essence
-Postnatal Essence
Describe Prenatal Essence:
-From Parents
-Nourishes developing embryo
-Creates Individuality
Describe Postnatal essence:
-From foods and fluids et daily
-Easiest to change/Improve
