What exactly does the kidney mean in Chinese medicine?

The theory of traditional Chinese medicine is that the kidney belongs to one of the five viscera (Note: five viscera: heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys.) One of them is the innate essence of the human body (Note: Essence is the basic substance that constitutes the human body, and is also the material basis for the growth and development of the human body and various functional activities. The innate essence is endowed by the parents and is inherent with birth, and is the reproductive... It is the original substance that constitutes the human body. In the process of embryonic development, it is the original substance that constitutes the embryo, the foundation of life, so it is called "the essence of the innate". Since the innate essence is only hidden in the kidneys, the kidneys are called "the foundation of the innate"). The kidneys play a vital role in the growth, development and aging of the human body. According to the five elements theory of "wood, fire, earth, gold, water" (Note: five elements is the movement of wood, fire, gold, earth and water. The liver is wood, the heart is fire, the spleen is earth, the lungs are gold, and the kidneys are water). The Kidney and the four organs of the Heart, Liver, Spleen and Lungs form a mutually reinforcing whole. The kidney and the bladder are mutually exclusive (Note: The foot-shaoyin kidney meridian and the foot-sun bladder meridian are mutually exclusive of the kidney and the bladder, so they are mutually exclusive, so the meridians of the kidney and the bladder are mutually exclusive of each other. The qi-chemical function of the bladder depends on the prevalence of kidney qi, which helps the bladder to qi-chemical fluids). The kidney qi helps the bladder to vaporize fluids.), opening the orifices in the ears (Note: The sensitivity of hearing is closely related to the surplus or deficit of essence qi in the kidneys. If the essence in the kidneys is abundant, the brain is nourished, and the hearing is sensitive, with a high level of discrimination. On the contrary, when the essence in the kidneys is weak, the brain does not receive sufficient nutrition, and hearing loss is seen, or tinnitus, or even deafness.) . The Kidneys have the ability to store essence (Note: the Kidneys have a closed role in the storage of essence). , main growth and reproduction (Note: Kidney essence is the primordial substance for embryonic development, and also promotes the maturation of reproductive functions. After birth, due to the mutual nourishment of the innate essence and the acquired essence, the essence of the kidney is gradually enriched from an early age, and when it develops to a certain stage, it produces a substance that promotes the maturation of reproductive functions - the The "Heavenly Decadence". Under the action of "Tian Kui", men are able to produce semen, and women have their menstruation on time, so their sexual function gradually matures and they have the ability to reproduce. Later on, as the kidney essence gradually tends to decline from abundance, the production of "Heavenly Decadence" decreases and even gradually depletes, and the reproductive ability also declines, resulting in the loss of reproductive ability. This fully demonstrates that kidney essence plays a decisive role in reproductive function, and that malfunctioning of kidney essence will lead to abnormal sexual function and a decline in reproductive function). and development (Note: The growth and development laws of the organism of birth, growth, strength, old age and decline are closely related to the prevalence and decline of Kidney Essence. People from early childhood, kidney essence gradually full, there are teeth more hair long and other physiological phenomena, to the young and strong, kidney essence is further full, and even reached the extreme point, the body also developed to the period of strength, then the real teeth, the body of the strong, strong, strong, strong and healthy muscles and bones. In old age, the decline of kidney essence, the body gradually aging, the whole body tendons and bones do not work, teeth shaking hair off, showing the signs of aging. It can be seen that the kidney essence determines the growth and development of the body, for the fundamental growth and development of the human body. If the loss of kidney essence, affecting the growth and development of the human body, there will be developmental disorders, such as developmental delay, thin and soft muscles and bones, etc., the adult, it is not old before aging.) , main water and fluid (Note: This refers to the role of the kidneys in presiding over the metabolism of water and fluid throughout the body and regulating the balance of water and fluid in the body. Under normal circumstances, the metabolism of fluid is realized through the qi and chemistry of the kidneys. Kidney maintains the balance of water-liquid metabolism in the human body. Any malfunction of the qi and chemistry of the kidney will cause obstacles to water-liquid metabolism and lead to pathological phenomena such as oedema, low urination, or clear, long and copious urine). , Lord of Qi Nascent (Note: Nascent is the meaning of fixing and accepting. Kidneys are responsible for the absorption of qi, which means that the kidneys have the function of taking in the clear qi inhaled by the lungs and preventing superficial breathing, in order to ensure the normal exchange of gases inside and outside the body.) and Lord of Bone and Medulla (Note: Essence in the Kidneys has an important part in the function of promoting the growth and development of the organism. The growth and development of bones depend on the abundance of bone marrow and the nutrition it provides. It is only when the essence in the Kidneys is full that the bone marrow can be nourished.) The role of the