The relationship between the lung and the liver is signified by the regulation of qi activity. On the one hand, the lung and the liver coordinate with each other in regulating qi activity. The lung governs qi in the whole body, controls respiration and regulates qi activity; the liver governs dredging and dispersing and promotes qi to flow in the whole body. On the other hand, the lung and the liver adjust the movement of qi through the activities of ascent and descent.

Lung-qi functions to descend and depurate while liver-qi functions to elevate and disperse. The liver and the lung, by means of ascent and descent, restrain each other and depend on each other so as to maintain the normal flow of qi in the whole body and avoid hyperactivity, adverse flow or sinking tendency. That is to say that the normal ascending and descending movement of qi depends on the coordination of the lung and the liver.

     

Besides, the lung and the liver affect each other pathologically. For example, fire transformed from liver stagnation may lead to disorder of the lung in depuration and descent; lung-beat may invade the liver and lead to disorder of the liver in dredging and dispersing. In both cases simultaneous disorder of the liver and the lung will be caused, clinically leading to reddish complexion, redness of eyes, irritability, susceptibility to rage, cough and pain in the chest and hypochondria due to simultaneous appearance of fire-heat and adverse flow of qi.