five elements

element /el·e·ment/ (el´ĕ-ment)

1. any of the primary parts or constituents of a thing.

2. in chemistry, a simple substance that cannot be decomposed by chemical means and that is made up of atoms which are alike in their peripheral electronic configurations and so in their chemical properties and also in the number of protons in their nuclei, but which may differ in the number of neutrons in their nuclei and so in their mass number and in their radioactive properties.

3. in the philosophies underlying some complementary medicine systems, a member of a group of basic substances that give rise to everything that exists.

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five elements 

1. see under phase.

2. in ayurvedic tradition, the basic entities (earth, air, fire, water, and space) whose interaction gives rise to material existence.

formed elements of the blood  the blood cells.

trace elements  chemical elements distributed throughout the tissues in very small amounts and that are either essential in nutrition, as cobalt, copper, etc., or harmful, as selenium.

transposable element  see transposon.

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five elements,

in Ayurvedic tradition, the basic entities (earth, air, fire, water, and space) whose interaction gives rise to material existence.

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five elements,

n.pl fire, water, earth, wood, and metal; in Chinese medicine, each of these five components is used to organize phenomena for use in clinical applications. Each of the elements corresponds to a specific function (i.e., metal means a decline in function; wood indicates growth; earth is equated with neutrality and balance; water relates to rest and imminent change in direction; and fire is associated with reaching a peak and imminent decline).