Essence、Qi 、Blood and
body fluids
Lecturer: QU Hongyan
1
Objects
 Basic concepts
 Generation, functions and movement of qi
 Production, distribution and functions of
blood
 Relationships among qi, blood, essence
and body fluids
2
Essence
 In a broad sense, it refers to the basic material to
form and sustain life activities of the human body.
 In a narrow sense, it refers to the kidney essence
which is the basic material to promote the growth,
development and reproductive function of the human body.
3
General term for
innate essence and
acquired essence
Reproductive
essence
Visceral essence
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Generation of essence
From parents
The embryo
Essence
From food
The spleen and stomach
Innate
essence
Acquired
essence
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Functions of essence

Reproduction
 Growth and development
 Generating marrow and blood
 Nourishing the body
6
Metabolism of essence
Supporting
life
reproduction
Innate
essence
Essence
Visceral
essence
Acquired
essence
generation
storing
Moistening
and nourishing
viscera
discharging
Transform qi,
blood and
spirit
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Concept of qi
 Qi
Qi
is the vigorous and refined material and the
most basic material to form and sustain life
activities of the human body.
 concrete material
 Functional activities
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Geneation of qi
innate qi
Qi
food essence（▲）
clear qi
氣
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Movement of qi




Ascending (e.g. spleen qi)
Descending (e.g. stomach qi)
Exiting
Entering
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Reversed
flow of qi
Qi
stagnation
Qi blockage
Imbalance of
qi movement
Qi sinking
Qi prostration
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Functions of qi





Promoting
Warming
Defending
Consolidating
Qi transformation
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Classification and distribution of qi
Inherited from
Innate qi
parents generated by
Original
qi
Kidney essence
Qi of the
Pectoral qi
whole body
Acquired qi
Clear qi
Nutritive qi
Visceral
qi
Meridian
qi
Food essence
Defensive qi
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Original qi
Also known as primitive qi, it is the
primary force of life activities.
 [Generation]
Inherited from parents, stored in kidneys
and nourished by acquired essence.
 [Functions]
Promote growth and development of the human
body, warming and stimulating viscera, meridians
and constituents
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Pectoral qi
It is the qi accumulated inside the chest.
 [Generation]
It is transformed from the food essence
generated by the spleen and stomach and clear qi
inhaled by the lung.
 [Functions]
It governs the heart and lung and governs
respiration and circulating blood and qi.
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Blood
Blood is the red fluid circulating inside vessels with
functions of nourishing and moistening, and also the
basic material to form and sustain life activities.
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Generation of blood
 Blood is consist of nutritive qi and body
fluid.
 The two sources of blood are food essence and
kidney essence.
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Clear
qi
Qi of spleen
and stomach Food
Food
essence
Lung qi
Nutritive
qi
Body
fluid
Kidney
essence
Liver
Heart
qi
Heart and
vessels
Blood
Kidney
qi
marrow
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Circulation of blood
 Blood circulate spread the whole body ceaselessly
like an endless ring.
 There are two factors to ensure the circulation of
blood.
Integrated and
smooth
vasculature
Viscera especially
heart, liver, spleen,
lung function
normally
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Functions of blood
1、Nourishing the whole body
blood deficiency
sallow complexion,
dizziness, lusterless skin and hair, numb limbs,
emaciation, etc.
2、Nourishing the mental activities
blood deficiency
palpitation, insomnia,
dream-disturbed sleep, fidget and even coma.
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Body fluids
Body fluids are the general terms for all the
normal water inside the human body.
Jin (the clear
part)
Ye( the
turbid part)
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Relationship and differences between Jin and Ye
Both generated from food by the spleen and stomach, iner-transformation。
Jin
Diluted, highly fluid
In the skin, muscles and orifices
mositening
Ye
Dense, lower fluid
Perfusing into viscera, joints
and marrow
Nourishing and lubricating
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Metabolism of body fluids
It refers to the complicated physiological
process including generation, distribution of
body fluids and discharge of left fluid and waste,
which involves coordination of various visceral
functions( especially spleen, lung and kidney.)
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Generation
Small
intestine
Spleen and
Stomach’s
digesting
Large
intestine
Transporting
and transforming,
absorb water
Body fluids
Food
Accepting and
digesting food
to separate the
clear from the
turbid
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Distribution
After generation, body fluids distribute inside
the human body through cooperation among
the spleen, lung, kidneys, liver and triple
energizer.
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Spleen qi send up the body
fluids to the lung
Lung governs dispersing
and descending
Triple energizer is the
passage and liver
regulates qi
movement
Transformation function of
Kidney qi
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Relationships among essence, qi,
blood and body fluids
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Relationship between essence and qi
 Essence generating qi
Innate essence and acquired essence combine and distribute
to viscera to nourish qi of viscera and promote generation of qi.
 Qi promoting essence generation
Essence generation depends on transforming function of viscera.
Sufficient qi of
Spleen and stomach
Normal and active
digestion and
absorption
Food can transform
into essence
 Qi consolidating essence
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Relationship between essence and blood
Essence can generate blood and blood generating
essence, so it is said that homogeny of blood and essence.
generates
Blood
Essence
generates
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Relationship between qi and blood
Qi
 differences
pertains to yang, active, with functions of warming and
promoting
Blood pertains to yin, still, with functions of nourishing and
moistening
 same points
Both originated from the food essence generated by
spleen and stomach and essence stored in kidneys
 “the relationship usually generalized as qi being the
general of blood and blood being the mother of qi
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Affection of qi on blood
 Qi generating blood
Qi transformation is the promotive force for blood generation
Food and
water
Food essence
Nutritive qi
and body fluids
Blood
Movement and change of qi
 Qi circulating blood
 Qi consolidating blood
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Affection of blood on qi
 Blood generating qi
It means that blood can supplement qi of the human body,
blood circulates in the whole body to supplement nutrition to
visceral qi to maintain it in a vigorous state.
 Blood transporting qi
It means that qi is inside blood and circulates inside human body
depending on blood. Blood is the vehicle of qi.
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Relationship between qi and body fluids
Qi generating body fluids
It means that qi transformation can promote generation of body
fluids.
Food essence
Spleen and
stomach
Body fluids
Promoting of qi and
qi transformation
Qi circulating body fluids
Qi consolidating body fluids
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Relationship between blood and body fluids
Body fluids and blood share the same source.
Blood
Permeates
out vessels
Permeate into
tertiary vessels
Body
fluids
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