Root of earlier heaven

The kidney as the seat of that which is inherited at conception in the fetal origin and which provides the basis for growth, development, reproductive ability, and resistance to disease. The root of earlier heaven stands in complementary opposition to the root of later heaven, which is the stomach and spleen as the source of engendering transformation, i.e., producing from food what is required for the growth, development, and life activity. See earlier heaven; kidney is the root of earlier heaven.