The Spleen organ forms an Interior-Exterior pair with the Stomach organ. Both belong to the Earth element.

Spleen and Stomach form the Post-Heaven Qi, decompose and transform food into Qi, Blood and Body Fluids and transport them to the body. Their functions are so intertwined that they can be considered a functional unit.

Regarding Yin - Yang, Spleen and Stomach have the following characteristics:

• Spleen, being a Zang organ, is Yin relative to Stomach, which is a Fu organ and therefore Yang.
• However, Stomach has a descending movement while Spleen ascends.
• Stomach is the only Yang channel that circulates along the Yin side of the body (the abdomen).
• Spleen is harmed by dampness, while Stomach needs a certain amount of dampness to carry out its functions.
• At the pathological level, Spleen tends toward Yang deficiency while Stomach tends toward Yin deficiency.

Return to: Zang-Fu Theory