(( http://www.taijiworld.com/taiji-qigong/Articles/elements.html )) (plain table)
The adult human gallbladder stores about 50 milliliters of bile, which is released into the duodenum when food containing fat enters the digestive tract, stimulating the secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK). The bile, produced in the liver, emulsifies fats in partly digested food.
During storage in the gallbladder, bile becomes more concentrated which increases its potency and intensifies its effect on fats.
In 2009, it was demonstrated that the gallbladder removed from a patient expressed several pancreatic hormones including insulin.[5] This was surprising because until then, it was thought that insulin was only produced in pancreatic β-cells. This study provides evidence that β-like cells do occur outside the human pancreas. The authors suggest that since the gallbladder and pancreas are adjacent to each other during embryonic development, there exists tremendous potential in derivation of endocrine pancreatic progenitor cells from human gallbladders that are available after cholecystectomy.
Pancreas
The pancreas (English pronunciation: /ˈpæŋkrɪəs/) is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as an exocrine gland, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that pass to the small intestine. These enzymes help to further break down the carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in the chyme.
Spleen
The spleen (from Greek σπλήν - splēn) is an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals with important roles in regard to red blood cells and the immune system. In humans, it is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock while also recycling iron. It synthesizes antibodies in its white pulp and removes antibody-coated bacteria along with antibody-coated blood cells by way of blood and lymph node circulation. The spleen is purple and gray. Recently, it has been found to contain in its reserve half of the body's monocytes within the red pulp. These monocytes, upon moving to injured tissue (such as the heart), turn into dendritic cells and macrophages while promoting tissue healing. It is one of the centers of activity of the reticuloendothelial system and can be considered analogous to a large lymph node, as its absence leads to a predisposition toward certain infections.
Etymology and cultural views
The word spleen comes from the Greek σπλήν, and is the idiomatic equivalent of the heart in English, i.e. to be good-spleened (εὔσπλαγχνος) means to be good-hearted or compassionate.[16]
In English the word spleen was customary during the period of the 18th century. Authors like Richard Blackmore or George Cheyne employed it to characterize the hypocondriacal and hysterical affections.[17][18]
In French, "splénétique" refers to a state of pensive sadness or melancholy. It has been popularized by the poet Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867) but was already used before in particular to the Romantic literature (18th century). The word for the organ is "la rate."
The connection between spleen (the organ) and melancholy (the temperament) comes from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks. One of the humours (body fluid) was the black bile, secreted by the spleen organ and associated with melancholy. In contrast, the Talmud (tractate Berachoth 61b) refers to the spleen as the organ of laughter while possibly suggesting a link with the humoral view of the organ. In the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England, women in bad humour were said to be afflicted by the spleen, or the vapours of the spleen. In modern English, "to vent one's spleen" means to vent one's anger, e.g. by shouting, and can be applied to both males and females. Similarly, the English term "splenetic" is used to describe a person in a foul mood.
In Chinese, the spleen '脾 (pí)' counts as the seat of one's temperament and is thought to influence the individual's willpower. Analogous to "venting one's spleen", "發脾氣" is used as an expression for getting angry, although in the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the view of "脾" does not correspond to the anatomical "spleen".[citation needed] "脾" is a conceptual functional group that mainly has regards to digestion which, in some scholars' opinions, corresponds to the function of the pancreas.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Four Humours
Traditional Chinese Medicine wiki
Ayurveda wiki
Fire Cupping wiki
_____________________________________________________________________________
Diaphragm
In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm (Ancient Greek: διάφραγμα diáphragma "partition"), is a sheet of internal muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity (heart, lungs & ribs) from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration. A diaphragm in anatomy can refer to other flat structures such as the urogenital diaphragm or pelvic diaphragm, but "the diaphragm" generally refers to the thoracic diaphragm. Other vertebrates such as amphibians and reptiles have diaphragms or diaphragm-like structures, but important details of the anatomy vary, such as the position of lungs in the abdominal cavity.
Spine x
There are a total of 33 vertebrae in the vertebral column, if assuming 4 coccygeal vertebrae.The individual vertebrae, named according to region and position, from superior to inferior, are:
- Cervical: 7 vertebrae (C1–C7)
- Thoracic: 12 vertebrae (T1–T12)
- Lumbar: 5 vertebrae (L1–L5)
- Sacral: 5 (fused) vertebrae (S1–S5)
- Coccygeal: 4 (3–5) (fused) vertebrae (Tailbone)
DNA wiki
Adrenal Gland
In mammals, the adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys; in humans, the right suprarenal gland is triangular shaped while the left suprarenal gland is semilunar shaped. They are chiefly responsible for releasing hormones in conjunction with stress through the synthesis of corticosteroids such as cortisol and catecholamines, such as epinephrine. Adrenal glands affect kidney function through the secretion of aldosterone, a hormone involved in regulating plasma osmolarity.
Anatomy and function
Anatomically, the adrenal glands are located in the retroperitoneum situated atop the kidneys, one on each side. They are surrounded by an adipose capsule and renal fascia. In humans, the adrenal glands are found at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra. Each adrenal gland is separated into two distinct structures, the adrenal cortex and medulla, both of which produce hormones. The cortex mainly produces cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens, while the medulla chiefly produces epinephrine and norepinephrine. The combined weight of the adrenal glands in an adult human ranges from 7 to 10 grams.[1]
The adrenal medulla is the core of the adrenal gland, and is surrounded by the adrenal cortex. The chromaffin cells of the medulla, named for their characteristic brown staining with chromic acid salts, are the body's main source of the circulating catecholamines adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Derived from the amino acid tyrosine, these water-soluble hormones are major hormones underlying the fight-or-flight response.
The adrenal glands and the thyroid gland are the organs that have the greatest blood supply per gram of tissue. Up to 60 arterioles may enter each adrenal gland.[5] This may be one of the reasons lung cancer commonly metastasizes to the adrenals.
_________________________________________________________________________________
The Sunhitcher, Book chapters
