Question

How are the lungs similar to kidneys with respect to their function?

Answer 1

As lungs purify air entered in the body as well as blood & kidney purify the blood

Answer 2

Originally Answered:
According to the theory, the relationship between the kidneys and the lungs is like a bond between a mother and child. The kidneys belong to water and the belong to metal; the metal and water elements mutually generate each other. They depend on each other physiologically, and influence each other pathologically.

The lungs are the respiratory organs. By inhaling clear qi from natural air and exhaling turbid qi out of the body, it exchanges the qi between the interior and the exterior of the body. Depending on the regulation of lungs, the can circulate smoothly throughout the body, and therefore, a normal state of internal metabolism is ensured. However, respiration does not merely depend on the lungs functioning; the kidneys also coordinate it. In order to keep the qi exchange effective, the inhaled and refined qi must flow down and be absorbed by the kidneys properly. The astringent or grasping and holding function of the kidneys ensures the lungs to receive and circulate downward the qi. In this way, the former helps coordinate respiration while the latter controls respiration.

Normal respiration from a TCM perspective

Normal respiration depends on mutual regulation by the kidneys and the lungs. The relationship is clearly stated in Leizheng Zhicai (Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases): "the lungs are the master of qi and the kidneys are the root of qi; the lungs exhale qi and the kidneys absorb refined qi; smooth respiration is the result of the harmony between yin and yang." In order to have smooth respiration and a clear airway, the kidney-qi must be strong and their astringent grasping and holding functions must be intact. When a kidney deficiency develops and fails to grasp the qi, the qi does not flow down to the kidney. It can lead to respiratory problems like difficulty inhaling with longer exhalation times. Conditions worsen during exercise. In TCM, this is called failure to retain the breathing qi in the kidney. Clinically, diseases like severe chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pulmonary heart problems that affect the right side of the heart are all due to the result of kidney deficiency and a .

282 Views ·
The only similarity I can see is that they process one’s blood. Lungs add, kidneys subtract. As follows.

Both have fine networks of tiny blood vessels. In the lungs these absorb atmospheric oxygen through their microscopically thin walls, and the revitalised red blood corpuscles flow from there around the body to oxygenate the body’s tissues.

Kidneys have an approximately similar network of tiny blood vessels too, but there the process is subtractive rather than additive, because in tight little nodules called nephrones waste products such as urea are filtered from the blood and leave the kidneys via an aqueous solution of urine which flows through tubes to the bladder, later to be expelled when convenient. (Urea is generated by the breakdown of proteins in the diet.)

That’s it.

I stress, I’m no medic. If finer detail is needed ask your doctor. Or Wiki. (If indeed any of the above is inaccurate, I’d be glad of a correction from anyone medically qualified.)