The gallbladder is attached to the liver, and they are connected by their meridians to form an exterior-interior relationship. Bile derives from surplus qi of the liver. It is stored and excreted by the gallbladder located under the liver. Only wben the liver performs its function successfully can bile be secreted, stored and excreted normally. On the other hand, when bile is excreted properly, the liver can give full play to its function in regulating the normal flow of qi. Conversely, when bile fails to be excreted normally, the liver function will be affected, too. Therefore, the liver and gallbladder are closely related physiologically and patho-logically. The diseases of liver often involve the gallbladder and the contrary is also true. Therefore, the liver and gallbladdet cannot be completely  separated physiologically and pathologically. For example, excessive five of both the liver and the gallbladder tmay present such symptoms as qi-stagnation and heat-dampness.

The kidney and urinary bladder, like the other zang-fu organs, form an exterior-interior relationship through their meridians. The kidneys control opening and closing, while the urinary bladder governs storing and excreting urine. Both are related to water metablism. Whether the function of the urinary bladder is normal ot not depends on the sufficiency or deficiency of -kidney-qi. When kidney-qi is sufficient and its astringency is right, the urinary bladder will open and close regularly, thus maintaining normal water metabolism. In case kidney-qi is deficient, there will be the disturbance of its qi transformation and astrictive action, causing the irregular opening and closing of the urinary bladder, manifested as dysuria, incontinence of urine, enuresis and frequency of micturition.

So far the text has just briefly discussed the relationship between the five zang-and the six fu-organs. To have a thorough understanding of their interrelations and the zang-fu theory, it is also important to know the relationship between the five zang-organs and that between the six fu-organs as well, which, as space is limited, have to be reluctantly parted with here.

In short, although the zang-and fu-organs have different physiological functions, there is a close relationship between them in maintaining the normal functions of the body, and it is the meridian-collateral system that makes them internally-externally interconnected. Without the interconnecting pathways of the meridians and collaterals, each of the zang-fu organs would become an isolated and static organ and unable to perform its functional activities. A case in point to show the relationship is what is said in Basic Questions. "The zang-organs are all connected with the meridians to perform the circulation of qi and blood."

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