Chinese Medicine maintains that a human body is made up of organs, energy/blood channels (so-called Meridians) and the four basic elements of Essence, Qi, Blood and Body Fluid. Chinese medicine divides the main eleven human organs into two groups: Zang-Organs and Fu-Organs. The theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements apply to these organs.
Zang organs
| Heart | Responsible for blood circulation and mental activities |
|---|---|
| Spleen | Regulates the digestion of food |
| Liver | Ensures the smooth flow of Qi, Blood and Body Fluid |
| Lung | Regulates the amount of Qi entering the body and the organs |
| Kidney | Storage of Essence and responsible for body growth and reproduction |
Fu-Organs
| Small intestine | is a place for primary absorption |
|---|---|
| Stomach | responsible for digestion of food |
| Colon | transformation of food into waste |
| Bladder | stores the waste body fluid |
| Gall bladder | enhances the process of digestion and absorption |
| Triple heater | is a channel for the movement of Qi |
The Four Basic Elements
In Chinese Medicine the four basic elements of a human body are Essence, Qi, Blood and Body Fluid. Albeit using different names and terms, the same elements also exist in Western medicine.
Essence (Jing)
When a baby is born, it acquires Essence from the parents. As such the modern Western medicine equivalent is the genetic DNA which is uniquely inherited from the parents. Essence is vital, body-protecting, blood-making and body-fluid-making in the human body. Our body constitution is a result of the quality of genes we obtain.
Qi
In Chinese Medicine Qi refers to the life energy of a human being. Life energy is acquired through breathing of air, eating of food and drinking of water, and is required to maintain the physiological functions of a body. A strong and good quality Qi results in a strong human body immune system.
Blood
In Chinese Medicine the concept of blood is very similar to the one in Western medicine. Chinese Medicine maintains that the function of blood is to carry energy and nutrition to organs and tissues.
Insufficient or low-quality blood will cause health problems. For example, since the heart is responsible mental activities, lack of blood in it will cause poor concentration, poor memory and dizziness.
Body Fluid
Body fluid refers to all body fluids in the human body except blood. It has a similar function to blood, yet it generally provides nutrition to the surface of the human body. It also has moisturizing function. Insufficient Body Fluid will cause health problems such as dry skin, feeling thirsty, or dry lips.
Meridians
A meridian refers to a channel that transports life energy in the form of Qi, Blood and Body Fluid. Whereas Western medicine differentiates between the oxygen circulation system, the blood circulation system and the lymphatic system, Chinese Medicine consolidates them all under the meridian circulation system.
The twelve most important Medirians (so-called Jing Meridians) connect the Zang-Fu Organs. All other body parts are connected by the thousands of other Meridians (so-called Luo Meridians).
In Chinese Medicine the twelve Jing Meridians are given special attention. They are distributed symmetrically throughout the body, each connect one Zang-Fu Organ and represent either the Yin or Yang force.
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