The Vital Substances

Question 1

What are the 5 vital substances?

Answer 1

1. Qi
2. Blood
3. Body Fluids
4. Essense
5. Shen

Question 2

What are the 6 functions of Qi?

Answer 2

1. Promoting: Growth & development
2. Warming: Warmth maintained by readjusting Qi.
3. Defence: Wei Qi protects the body from exterior attacks
4. Checking: maintains homeostasis
5. Nourishing: Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi)
6. Qi Hua: Functions of organs

Question 3

What are the 6 types of Qi?

Answer 3

1. Yuan Qi/ original Qi
2. Food Qi/ Gu Qi
3. Zong Qi/ Gathering Qi
4. Ying Qi/ Nutrative Qi
5. Wei Qi/ Defensive Qi
6. Zang-Fu Qi/ Organ Qi

Question 4

What Qi is rooted in kidneys & transported by San Jiao?

Answer 4

Yuan Qi/ Original Qi

Question 5

What Qi is inherited and delivered from pre-heaven essence?

Answer 5

Yuan Qi/ Original Qi

Question 6

What supplements & nourishes Yuan Qi/ Original Qi?

Answer 6

food essence

Question 7

What depletes Yuan Qi/Original Qi (4)?

Answer 7

1. Excess activity/lack of rest
2. Prolonged illness
3. Increased ejaculations
4. Increased Pregnancies

Question 8

What is the relationship between Yuan Qi & Zang-Fu activity?

Answer 8

The greater the Yuan Qi (original Qi), the greater the Zang-Fu (organ Qi) activity & vice versa.

Question 9

What Qi is known as grains of Qi?

Answer 9

Food Qi/ Gu Qi

Question 10

What is food Qi/ Gu Qi?

Answer 10

• The first transformation of food into Qi.
• Food enters stomach and is rotted & ripened and transformed into Food Qi by the spleen.
• not yet a usable form of Qi by the body (not refined)

Question 11

Where are 2 places that Food Qi/ Gu Qi go?

Answer 11

1. Rises to lungs & combines with air to become Zong Qi/ Gathering Qi.
2. Goes to heart, where it is transformed into blood.

Question 12

What forms gathering Qi/ Zong Qi?

Answer 12

Interaction of Food Qi/ Gu Qi with air

Question 13

Which Qi is closely related to the function of the heart and lungs by helping them push Qi & blood to the limbs?

Answer 13

Zong Qi/ Gathering Qi

Question 14

Which Qi gathers in the throat & assists with speech?

Answer 14

Zong Qi/ Gathering Qi

Question 15

What are 3 other names for true Qi?

Answer 15

Zhen Qi, Vital Qi, Righteous Qi

Question 16

What is true Qi/Zhen Qi are how is it formed?

Answer 16

-Last stage of transformation of Qi.
-Original Qi catalyzes the formation of True Qi from Gathering/Zong Qi.

Question 17

What are the 2 forms that True/Zhen Qi assume?

Answer 17

1. Nutritive/ Ying Qi
2. Defensive/ Wei Qi

Question 18

What makes up Ying Qi/ Nutritive Qi?

Answer 18

• From food extracted by spleen & stomach.
• Refined Qi from food, air & Yuan Qi/Original Qi.

Question 19

Function of Ying Qi/ Nutritive Qi?

Answer 19

Nourished the internal organs.

Question 20

Which Qi is closely linked with blood flow in channels & blood vessels?

Answer 20

Nutritive /Ying Qi

Question 21

What are the functions of Wei/ Defensive Qi (6)?

Answer 21

1. Defends against external pathogens (heat, wind, cold, dampness)
2. Protects the muscular surface
3. Controls the opening of pores
4. Moistens the skin & hair
5. Makes adjustments of body temperature
6. Warms up Zhang Fu Organs.

Question 22

What is Zang-Fu/ Organ Qi?

Answer 22

Function of organs.
Zang = yin organ = solid organ
Fu = Yang organ = hallow organ

Question 23

Other Qi to consider (2)?

Answer 23

1. Meridian Qi
2. Zhong Qi: Middle Qi

Question 24

What forms blood?

Answer 24

Mainly Food/ Gu Qi which is derived from stomach/spleen & rises to chest where it is acted upon by Yuan/ Original Qi

Question 25

When is blood termed completed blood?

Answer 25

Once it is sent to the heart turns red.

Question 26

Blood functions (5)?

Answer 26

1. Nourishment & moisture: movement of eyes/limbs. 2. Nourishes hair, sinews, bones & bowels. 3. Foundation of mental activities, houses the mind. 4. Circulates with Ying/ Nutritive Qi. 5. Determines menstruation.

Question 27

What organs governs, makes, and stores blood?

Answer 27

Governs = heart Makes = spleen Stores = liver

Question 28

Is Qi and blood Yang or Yin?

Answer 28

Qi = yang - energy moves blood Blood = Yin = gives body nutritional substance **Qi is the commander of blood & blood is the motor of Qi **

Question 29

Function of body fluids?

Answer 29

To moisten skin, muscles, organs, mucous membranes and orifices.

Question 30

Two classification of body fluids & their properties, location & functions.

Answer 30

1. Thin fluids/ Jin - clear & watery - found on mucous membranes & the skin - Warm & nourish muscles & moisten skin 2. Thick Fluids/ Ye - turbid & visors - found in bowels, brain, bones, and viscera -lubricate joint cavities, bone marrow & CSF

Question 31

What does Jin & Ye circulate with?

Answer 31

Jin/thin fluid: defensive Qi Ye/Thick fluid: Nutritive Qi (becomes fluid portion of blood)

Question 32

What organ controls Jin & Ye?

Answer 32

Jin/ Thin Fluid: controlled by lung Ye/Thick Fluid: controlled by spleen & kidney

Question 33

Explain fluid metabolism.

Answer 33

1. Begins in stomach where fluid are churned & separated 2. Spleen further separates fluid: - Pure ascends to lungs - Impure descends to small intestine 3. Lungs send more refined to skin and less refined to kidney -kidney sends seam to lungs to keep them moist 4. Small intestine further separates: - sends pure to stomach & spleen -sends impure to large intestine & bladder (excreted)

Question 34

What is essence and another name for it?

Answer 34

-Jing -primary substance for growth & material (genetic substance)

Question 35

What are the 2 types of essence and what is their differences?

Answer 35

1. Prenantal Essence - from parents -nourishes embryo -creates individuality 2. Postnatal Essence - from food & fluids daily - easiest to change/improve

Question 36

What happens at 8 yrs old (men)?

Answer 36

Essence is full -hair is grown, teeth change

Question 37

What happens at 16 yrs old (men)?

Answer 37

Essence is abundant. -Water of heaven arrives, Jing Qi flows, Yin & yang are in harmony, man is fertile

Question 38

What happens at 24 yrs old (men)?

Answer 38

Essense plateaus: -tendons & bones are strong, wisdom teeth come, growth at peak.

Question 39

What happens at 32 yrs old (men)?

Answer 39

tendons & bones are strongest, flesh is full & strong

Question 40

What happens at 40 yrs old (men)?

Answer 40

Essence is weaker. -hair falls out, teeth loose

Question 41

What happens at 48 yrs old (men)?

Answer 41

Yang Qi is exhausted. -face darkens, hair whitens

Question 42

What happens at 56 yrs old (men)?

Answer 42

Liver (essence) weakened. -tendons cannot move, Dew of heaven used up, little semen, kidney is weak, appearance & body at their end.

Question 43

What happens at 64 yrs old (men)?

Answer 43

hair & teeth gone

Question 44

What happens at 7 yrs old (women)?

Answer 44

Essence is abundant. -Teeth changes & hair is growing.

Question 45

What happens at 14 yrs old (women)?

Answer 45

Dew of heaven arrives. -Conception meridian flows, penetrating extra meridian is full, menses come, women can concieve.

Question 46

What happens at 21 yrs old (women)?

Answer 46

Essence plateaus. -Wisdom teeth come in & grow at peak.

Question 47

What happens at 28 yrs old (women)?

Answer 47

tendons and bones are strong, and hair is growing at peak.

Question 48

What happens at 35 yrs old (women)?

Answer 48

Yang brightness meridian weakens, face begins to darken, hair falls out

Question 49

What happens at 42 yrs old (women)?

Answer 49

3 yang meridians are weak, face is dark, & hair turns white

Question 50

What happens at 49 yrs old (women)?

Answer 50

Conception meridian is deficient, penetrating extra meridian is exhausted, water of heaven is dried up, the menses (earth road) is not open = weakness & infertility set in

Question 51

What is Shen, what organ is it related to, and what is it responsible for?

Answer 51

Shen = mind -closely related to heart -responsible for mental activities (thinking, memory, wisdom, feelings, senses, memory, cognition etc)