Zang Fu Flashcards
Zang Fu: Outline
Zang: (5 Viscera) Heart, Lung, Spleen, Liver, Kidney, (Pericardium)
Fu: (6 Bowels) Gall Bladder, Stomach, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Urinary Bladder, Triple Burner
Extra-Ordinary Bowels/Fu: Brain, Marrow, Bones, Vessels, Gall-Bladder, Uterus
ZANG (functions)
Viscera
- Yin organs
Main Functions: transform, generate,andstore essence-qi/Vital Substances (Qi, Blood, Essence, Body Fluids)
- store substances, do not drain
FU
Bowels
- Yang Organs
Main Functions: receive and digest/transform food; transmit and excrete the wastes
- do NOT store (hollow), but transmit and transform
HEART: Outline
Government Seat: Monarch/Emperor
- Main Functions:
- governs Blood and Vessels
- stores the Shen
- Manifests in the face/complexion
- Opens to the tongue
- Emotion: Joy
- Fluid: Sweat
- Fire organ, loathes heat
Heart as the Monarch
- “Heart is the Monarch, [from where] the shen emanates.”
- Heart stores the shen, and therefore oversees all physiological (including mental/emotional) processes in entire body
(shen: mind, cognitive function)
- “Heart is the great commander of the five viscera and six bowels and the residence of (essence) and shen.”
note: “essence” here refers to the basic substances that give rise to shen
Heart Main Functions
- Governs the Blood Vessels
2 aspects: A
- Governs Blood and Vessels
A. Heart circulates blood through vessels to entire body where it nourishes all the tissues
- heart, vessels, and blood constitute the circulatory system
- blood flows in a continuous loop through body
- Heart qi is the force behind circulation
Heart Main Functions
- Govern Blood and Vessels
2 aspects: A
A. Heart circulates blood through vessels to entire body where it nourishes all the tissues
- Healthy, normal circulation depends upon:
1. sufficient Heart-qi
2. sufficient quantity and good quality blood
3. unobstructed vessels
Heart Main Functions
- Governs Blood and Vessels
Quote
“[If the Heart] is exhausted then the vessels are not open and the blood will not circulate. [If] the vessels are not open the whiskers will be lackluster and the complexion will be black like lacquer. The Blood will die.”
Heart Main Functions:
- Governs Blood and Vessels
2 aspects: B
B: Transformation (production) of Blood occurs in Heart
- Heart doesn’t contribute any material for production of Blood, but it belongs to Fire, Fire is red, and so it is said that Heart “transforms red”
Heart Main Functions
- Stores the Shen
A. Heart is the commander of the five viscera and six bowels, and therefore of the entire body (e.g. blood circulation of Heart, respiration of Lung, transformation and transportation of Spleen… all take place under command of the Heart)
B. Heart commands all mental/emotional activity (e.g. when pensiveness stirs in the Heart, the Spleen responds)
- Broad sense of shen: outward manifestations of life-activities of entire body as observed in: face, eyes, speech, response, movements, posture, tongue and pulse)
- Narrow sense of shen: mental-emotional activities
Heart manifests in the:
FACE/COMPLEXION
- Heart commands blood and vessels and face has an abundant supply of both
Heart opens to the:
TONGUE
- Heart dominates speech and sense of taste
- tongue connected to Heart meridian
Heart’s Emotion:
JOY
- joy in appropriate amount is good for the Heart and entire body
- excessive joy can damage the Heart and disperse the shen
Heart Fluid:
SWEAT
- Heart commands Blood, Blood and Body Fluids are related, share same origin
HEART (Fire Organ), loathes:
Heart Fire is controlled by:
HEAT
- Heart belongs to fire element, and its nature is “heat”
- helps warm viscera and bowels and entire body
- Heart fire is controlled by KIDNEY WATER
- adding heat to Heart easily leads to excessive heat in the Heart, and Kidney water is unable to control it
PERICARDIUM
- normally not included in the Five Viscera [and Six Bowels]
- thin membrane wrapped around Heart - not a thick, fleshy organ like other Viscera
- Pc channel paired with TB channel (TB is Yang, Pc channel is yin, therefore Pc organ considered yin)
PERICARDIUM Functions
Protects Heart:
- from invasion by external pathogenic factors
- [If pathogen] is allowed into the Heart, the Heart will be damaged. If the Heart is damaged the shen will depart, and if the shen departs, death will follow. Therefore, all pathogen that would enter the Heart [instead] enters the Pericardium.
LUNG: Outline
- Government Seat: Prime Minister
- Main Functions:
A. Governs Qi and controls respiration
B. Regulates the water passages
C. Governs diffusing and descending
D. Governs “regulation” (regulate all physiological activities)
E. Governs Defensive (wei) and the exterior
- Lung is the delicate organ, Lung is the brilliant canopy
- Manifests in the body hair
- Opens to the nose
- Emotion: grief/sadness
- Fluid: snivel
8: Body Part: skin
Lung: Prime Minister
“Lung is the Prime Minister from where regulation emanates”
- Lung commands Qi. Qi regulates all functions of the body
Lung Main Functions
- Governs Qi and Controls Respiration
“Governs Qi” – 3 ways
“All Qi belongs to the Lung”
1. Lung governs all Qi in the body
- Production*: (Lung contributes Clear Qi, combines in chest with Food Qi to make Gathering Qi/Chest Qi)
- Distribution*: Lung disseminates Qi to entire body via its diffusing fx… (which sends stuff up and out)
2. Movement of Qi
- respiration is outward manifestation of lung qi, where movement begins
3. “Lung Faces the Hundred Vessels”
- (Lung Governs Qi) Qi is the commander of Blood and Qi moves Blood through the vessels; Lung assists the Heart to circulate blood
Lung Main Functions
- Governs Qi and Controls Resipiration
“Controls Respiration”
Lung Controls Respiration
- Lung Qi drives respiration
Lung Main Functions
- Regulates Water Passages
2 aspects: Part I
1. Lung regulates water passages
- Lung function of diffusing and descending helps regulate the distribution, movement, and elimination of body fluids
- “Fluids enter the Stomach which sends essence qi (nutritious part^) up to the Spleen. The Spleen Qi disperses the essence up to the Lung. The Lungs regulate the water passages and send [fluids] down to the UB and the water essence to the entire body and circulating in the 5 channels.”
- “Lung moves water.”
Lung Main Functions
- Regulates Water Passages
2 aspects: part II
2. Lung is the “Upper Source of Water”
- Lung is located in the upper portion of the body and disseminates fluids throughout body
- Lung assists Kidney and Bladder in formation and excretion of urine
- Lung sends fluids down to Kidney and and UB
- If Lung descending function is impaired: fluids do not descend (accumulate in the upper portion of the body; urine is not formed and excreted
Lung Main Functions
- Governs Diffusing and Descending
3 aspects
1. Relationship to Respiration
- Diffusing (Exhalation: excrete turbid-qi upward and outward)
- Descending (Inhalation: inhale and absorb Clear-Qi downward and inward)
2. Relationship to controlling water passages (Lung sends Fluids to all parts of the body)
- Diffusing (Upwards to head and face; outwards to surface of body (space between muscles and skin)
- Descending (Downwards to Kidney and UB)
3. Relationship to regulating Qi-mechanism
- Lung qi descends (metal); Liver qi ascends (wood)
- mutually control/restrain each other and assist each other – Qi mechanism/dynamic is balanced
LUNG MAIN FUNCTIONS
- Governs “Regulation”
2 aspects
1. Assists Heart
- Qi moves/commands Blood
- Lung governs Qi
- Lungs assist Heart in circulation of Blood
2. Helps regulate all physiological activity
- Lung governs Qi
- Qi is the basis for all physiological activity
- Helps all physiological activity to be HARMONIOUS/ORDERLY and RHYTHMICAL/CYCLICAL