The theory of Channels, Collaterals, and Organs is one of the most important but at the same time, one of the most difficult in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Do we need to preserve the original TCM lingo or is it possible to match the TCM terms with their equivalents in modern medicine? The authors review the main ideas about Channels and Organs theory and provide their own explanation.We believe that ancient Chinese doctors understood the complexity of the human body and divided it into 2 morpho-funcional parts: cells and intercellular spaces. Through the theory of "Channels and Collaterals," those physicians described physiology and pathology of intercellular spaces and by the theory of "Zang and Fu Organs," they described cellular physiology and pathology.
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