Zang-fu

I. THE ZANG ORGANS -> Lung

The lung, situated in the thorax, has its channel connecting with the large intestine and it is therefore externally-internally related to the large intestine. It opens into the nose. Its main physiological functions are dominating qi (air) and controlling respiration, regulating water passages and dominating the skin and hair.

(1) Dominating qi (air) and controlling respiration. The lung is a respiratory organ. Through its function of dispersing and descending", it inhales cleanqi to supply the body's functions and exhales waste qi. This is what is known as the function of "getting rid of the stale and taking in the fresh". As the function of the lung greatly influences the functional activities of the whole body, the lung is said to dominate the qi (vital functions) of the entire body.

(2) Regulating water passages. The dispersing and descending function of the lung regulates water passages, promoting water metabolism. Its dispersing function turns a part of the body fluid into sweat to be excreted, while its descending function continuously sends a part of the body fluid down to the kidney and on to the urinary bladder to be excreted as urine.

(3) Dominating the skin and hair. Here the skin and hair signify the entire body surface. The lung disperses the essentials of food to the body surface, giving lustre to the skin, gloss and luxuriance to the hair, and regulating the opening and closing of the pores.