Body fluid:  a basic component of the body may include:  saliva, synovial
fluids, tissue fluid, stomach secretions, and also excretions.  The function of body fluid is to keep organs and their tissues moist, regulate the balance of yin and yang in the body, maintain body temperature, and elimination of body waste.

Channel system:  the energy network of the body.  Links the zang-fu organs and serves as conduit for qi and blood.  Joins interior to exterior and the upper body to the lower body.

De Qi:  subjective and objective observations during the insertion of an acupuncture needle as it taps into the flow of qi.

DNIC:  Diffuse noxious inhibitory control.  A theory explaining the central neurohormonal (or whole body) effects of acupuncture. 

Enkephalinergic:  pertaining to cells that release enkephalins when stimulated.  Enkephalins are related to Beta-endorphins and have similar effects.

Essence: also known as vital essence.  The fundamental material of all living organisms. 
    Congenital:  the essence inherited from one’s parents
    Acquired:  develops postnatally from food, air, and environment

Exogenous pathogenic factors: external environmental factors believe to cause disease exogenously:  wind, cold, dampness, dryness, and fire. 

Five elements: an analogy to the process and direction of change within a system, based on the interaction of the following:  fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. 

Five tissues:  skin, flesh, vessels, bones, and tendons.  Each tissue is
related to a zang-fu organ pair.

Meridian:  see channel systems

Nourishing qi:  qi transformed from the ingested food by the spleen and stomach.

Original qi:  derived from congenital and acquired essence.  Exists throughout the body and is distributed through the triple burner.

Pathogenic factors:  any insult that disturbs the internal balance of the
human body or the balance of the body with its external environment. 

Pectoral qi:  derived from air and food.  Provides energy for heartbeat and respirations.

Qi:  also known as vital energy or activity of life.  Represents actual functioning of the body and its parts. 

Symptom-complex:  a complete summary of total body function at a particular stage of illness

Triple-burner:  refers to three parts of the central body cavity.  The upper
burner holds the heart and lungs.  The middle burner houses the spleen and stomach.  The lower burner encompasses the kidney, bladder, small and large intestines.

Wei qi:  also known as "defensive yang."  Located on the surface of the body, it protects against external environment pathogens.

Yin-yang:   theory stating that any object in nature is a unified whole
composed of two opposing parts: yin and yang.  These designations are relative and may change in relation to another object. 

Zang-Fu:  the internal organs of the body and their relation to the channels,
sense organs, and other tissues.