Editing Traditional Chinese medicine (section)

===''Zangfu''===
{{Main|Zangfu}}
The ''zangfu'' ({{lang-zh|s=脏腑 |t=臟腑 |p=zàngfǔ |labels=no}}) are the collective name of eleven entities (similar to organs) that constitute the centre piece of TCM's systematization of bodily functions. The term ''zang'' refers to the five considered to be yin in nature – [[Heart (Chinese medicine)|Heart]], [[Liver (Chinese medicine)|Liver]], [[Spleen (Chinese medicine)|Spleen]], [[Lung (Chinese medicine)|Lung]], [[Kidney (Chinese medicine)|Kidney]] – while ''fu'' refers to the six associated with yang – [[Small intestine (Chinese medicine)|Small Intestine]], [[Large intestine (Chinese medicine)|Large Intestine]], [[Gallbladder (Chinese medicine)|Gallbladder]], [[Urinary bladder (Chinese medicine)|Urinary Bladder]], [[Stomach (Chinese medicine)|Stomach]] and [[San Jiao]].<ref name="mUWDG">by citation from the [[Huangdi Neijing]]'s Suwen: "{{lang|zh|言人身臟腑中陰陽，則臟者為陰，腑者為陽。}}" &#91;Within the human body's zang-fu, there's yin and yang; the zang are yin, the fu are yang&#93;. As seen at: {{cite web |url=http://www.yixuesheng.com/lunwen/zhongyi/zyjc/201001/5090.html |script-title=zh:略論臟腑表裏關係 |date=22 January 2010 |access-date=13 December 2010 |language=zh |trans-title=outline on the relationships between the zang-fu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718141705/http://www.yixuesheng.com/lunwen/zhongyi/zyjc/201001/5090.html |archive-date=18 July 2011}}</ref> Despite having the names of organs, they are only loosely tied to (rudimentary) anatomical assumptions.<ref name="hJoCV">{{cite web |url=http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/118Kaleidoscope4651.html |title=Cultural China–Chinese Medicine–Basic Zang Fu Theory |access-date=8 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314201959/http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/118Kaleidoscope4651.html |archive-date=14 March 2011}}</ref> Instead, they are primarily understood to be certain "functions" of the body.<ref name="Kaptchuck 2000" /><ref name="Ross 1984" /> To highlight the fact that they are not equivalent to anatomical organs, their names are usually capitalized.

The ''zang'''s essential functions consist in production and storage of ''qi'' and xuě; they are said to regulate digestion, breathing, water metabolism, the musculoskeletal system, the skin, the sense organs, aging, emotional processes, and mental activity, among other structures and processes.<ref name="gPrNi">{{cite web |url=http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/118Kaleidoscope4651.html |title=Cultural China–Chinese Medicine–Basic Zang Fu Theory |access-date=26 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314201959/http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/118Kaleidoscope4651.html |archive-date=14 March 2011}}</ref> The fǔ organs' main purpose is merely to transmit and digest ({{zh|c=傳化 |labels=no|p=chuán-huà}})<ref name="wh23b">"{{lang|zh|六腑：膽、胃、小腸、大腸、膀胱、三焦；"傳化物質"。}} &#91;The Six Fu: gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, sanjiao; "transmit and digest"&#93; as seen at {{cite web |url=http://www.notedyy.com/news/html/?341.html |script-title=zh:中醫基礎理論-髒腑學說 |date=11 June 2010 |access-date=14 December 2010 |language=zh |trans-title=Basics of TCM theory–The zangfu concept |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714200403/http://www.notedyy.com/news/html/?341.html |archive-date=14 July 2011}}</ref> substances such as waste and food.

Since their concept was developed on the basis of Wǔ Xíng philosophy, each zàng is paired with a fǔ, and each zàng-fǔ pair is assigned to one of five elemental qualities (i.e., the Five Elements or Five Phases).<ref name="K2pRO">{{harvp|Aung|Chen|2007|pp= 15–16}}</ref> These correspondences are stipulated as:
* Fire ({{lang|zh|火}}) = Heart ({{zh|c=心|labels=no|p=xīn}}) and Small Intestine ({{zh|c=小腸|labels=no|p=xiaǒcháng}}) (and, secondarily, Sānjiaō &#91;{{lang|zh|三焦}}, "Triple Burner"&#93; and Pericardium [{{zh|c=心包|p=xīnbaò|labels=no}}])
* Earth ({{lang|zh|土}}) = Spleen ({{zh|c=脾 |labels=no|p=pí}}) and Stomach ({{zh|c=胃 |labels=no|p=weì}})
* Metal ({{lang|zh|金}}) = Lung ({{zh|c=肺 |labels=no|p=feì}}) and Large Intestine ({{zh|c=大腸 |labels=no|p=dàcháng}})
* Water ({{lang|zh|水}}) = Kidney ({{zh|c=腎 |labels=no|p=shèn}}) and Bladder ({{zh|c=膀胱|labels=no|p=pángguāng}})
* Wood ({{lang|zh|木}}) = Liver ({{zh|c=肝 |labels=no|p=gān}}) and Gallbladder ({{zh|c=膽|labels=no|p=dān}})

The zàng-fǔ are also connected to the [[Meridian (Chinese medicine)#12 standard meridians|twelve standard meridians]] – each yang meridian is attached to a fǔ organ, and five of the yin meridians are attached to a zàng.<ref name="4IoBNy" /> As there are only five zàng but six yin meridians, the sixth is assigned to the [[Pericardium (Chinese medicine)|Pericardium]], a peculiar entity almost similar to the Heart zàng.<ref name="4IoBNy">{{harvp|Aung|Chen|2007|p=16}}</ref>