Western medicine attribute a specific function to the organs such as the Heart's role in the blood circulation and the Kidney's role in the urine production, however, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) also recognize and attribute to the organs other, more subtle, functions in the maintenance of health.

The heart, for example, is said to be the seat of the mind or spirit, and any disruption of its function will affect the level of consciousness. Each of the Zang (solid) organs (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney) is linked by one channel to a Fu (hollow) Organ (Large Intestine, Gall Bladder, Urinary Bladder, Stomach and the Triple Warmer) and by another channel, to a sense organ.

Therefore, disruption of the Zang organ's Chi can affect the Fu organ that is related to it. Similarly, the disruption of the Fu organ's Chi will have an effect on its associated Zang organ.