5 Elements and Their Corresponding TCM Organs

Question 1

What are the 5 Elements

Answer 1

1. wood
2. earth
3. metal
4. water
5. fire

Question 2

What the 5 elements used to explain

Answer 2

the properties of the organs, their mutual relationship and pathological changes

Question 3

which element describes: Workable and solid

Answer 3

Wood
- ‘can be bent and straightened’

Question 4

which element describes: solid and moldable

Answer 4

metal
‘can be molded and can harden’

Question 5

which element describes: Nutrition

Answer 5

earth
- ‘permits sowing, growing and reaping’

Question 6

which element describes: Combustible and warming

Answer 6

fire
‘flares upwards’

Question 7

which element describes: Fluid and moveable

Answer 7

water
- ‘moistens downwards’

Question 8

Generating cycle: Fire creates

Answer 8

Earth

Question 9

Generating cycle: Earth creates

Answer 9

metal

Question 10

Generating cycle: metal creates

Answer 10

water

Question 11

Generating cycle: Water creates

Answer 11

wood

Question 12

Generating cycle: wood creates

Answer 12

fire

Question 13

Wood creates Fire from

Answer 13

buring

Question 14

Fire creates Earth from

Answer 14

ashes

Question 15

Earth creates Metal by

Answer 15

hardening

Question 16

Metal creates Water by

Answer 16

containing

Question 17

Water creates Wood by

Answer 17

nourishing

Question 18

Mother always creates the child. Therefore, if fire creates earth, then…

Answer 18

fire is the mother of earth and earth is the child of fire

Question 19

Controlling cycle: Fire controls

Answer 19

metal

Question 20

Controlling cycle: Earth controls

Answer 20

water

Question 21

Controlling cycle: Metal controls

Answer 21

Wood

Question 22

Controlling cycle: Water controls

Answer 22

Fire

Question 23

Controlling cycle: Wood controls

Answer 23

earth

Question 24

Fire controls Metal by

Answer 24

melting

Question 25

Metal controls Wood by

Answer 25

cutting

Question 26

Wood controls Earth by

Answer 26

covering

Question 27

Earth controls Water by

Answer 27

damning

Question 28

Water controls Fire by

Answer 28

extinguishing

Question 29

Why is each element controlled by another element?

Answer 29

in order to maintain a balance

Question 30

what happens when the controller is in excess relative to the controlled?

Answer 30

pathology will exist in the controlled

Question 31

what happens when the controller is in deficiency relative to the controlled?

Answer 31

pathology will exist in the controller

Question 32

Opposite of the controlling cycle when an element ‘backlashes’ its controller

Answer 32

insulting cycle

Question 33

when does the insulting cycle occur?

Answer 33

when the controller is relatively weaker than the controlled

Question 34

what direction is fire?

Answer 34

Upward

Question 35

what direction is water?

Answer 35

downward

Question 36

what direction is wood?

Answer 36

expansion

Question 37

what direction is metal?

Answer 37

contraction

Question 38

what direction is earth?

Answer 38

Central

Question 39

What do the element seasons mean?

Answer 39

Each element has a seasonal cycle where it is most active

Question 40

What season is Fire?

Answer 40

summer

Question 41

What season is Metal?

Answer 41

Fall

Question 42

What season is Water

Answer 42

winter

Question 43

What season is wood?

Answer 43

spring

Question 44

What season is Earth

Answer 44

Late summer or last 18 days of every season

Question 45

When an element is deficient it will:

Answer 45

1) Fail to nourish on the child on the generating cycle 2) Allow an insult to occur on itself by creating a relative excess (e.g. Yin Deficiency and heat symptoms) along the controlling cycle

Question 46

When an element is in excess it will:

Answer 46

3) Draw excessively from the mother 4) Over-act on the controlling cycle (Yang excess causing dry symptoms)

Question 47

what element corresponds with: Heart and Small Intestine, Pericardium and San Jiao

Answer 47

Fire Element

Question 48

what element corresponds with: Spleen and Stomach

Answer 48

Earth Element

Question 49

what element corresponds with: Lung and Large Intestine

Answer 49

Metal Element

Question 50

what element corresponds with the kidney and Urinary Bladder

Answer 50

Water Element

Question 51

what element corresponds with: Liver and Gall Bladder

Answer 51

Wood Element

Question 52

Emotion: Joy and anxiety Sense: Speech and Taste Taste: Bitter

Answer 52

FIRE ELEMENT

Question 53

Secretion: Mucous Emotions: Sadness & grief Sense: Smell Taste: Pungent

Answer 53

METAL ELEMENT

Question 54

Secretion: Saliva Emotions: Pensiveness, overthinking Flavor: Sweet Sense: Taste Climate: Moist and Thunderous

Answer 54

EARTH ELEMENT

Question 55

Secretion: Urine Emotions: Fear and shock Flavour: Salty Sense: Hearing

Answer 55

WATER ELEMENT

Question 56

Secretion: Tears Emotions Anger & jealousy Flavor: Sour Sense: Vision

Answer 56

WOOD ELEMENT

Question 57

Colour green

Answer 57

wood

Question 58

colour red

Answer 58

fire

Question 59

colour yellow

Answer 59

earth

Question 60

colour white

Answer 60

metal

Question 61

colour black

Answer 61

water