LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

WHAT IS LYMPHATIC SYSTEM?It is a system of thin tubes that runs throughout the body.

It is like the blood circulation – the tubes (vessels) branch through all the parts of the body like the arteries and veins that carry blood.

WHAT IS LYMPH? Comes from the Latin word

“lympha”, meaning “clear water” It is a clear fluid that circulates

around the body tissues It contains a high number of

lymphocytes (white blood cells)

Plasma leaks out of the capillaries to surround and bathe the body tissues and drains into the lymph vessels.

The lymph, flows through the lymphatic system to the biggest lymph vessel – the thoracic duct.

The thoracic duct then empties back into the blood circulation.

2 Fluid destinations of the lymph:1. Blood stream/capillary walls2. Intercellular spaces – lymph are collected in the

open ended lymphatic system then collected into the lymph nodes.

LYMPH VESSELS Also called

lymphatics, carry lymph in only one direction – to the heart.

The smallest vessels are called lymph capillaries

LYMPH NODES Are lymph that travels through

the lymph vessels that are filtered through masses of tissues.

They are concentrated in the following areas:

1. Neck2. Armpit3. Inner elbow4. Groin

These nodes range in size from microscopic to just under 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length.

Between 500 and 1,500 lymph nodes are located in the body; most of them usually occur in clusters.

Lymph nodes that you cannot feel in:1. Abdomen2. Pelvis3. Chest

Lymphatic System includes other body organs.

1. Spleen 2. Thymus 3. Tonsils 4. Adenoids

FUNCTIONS OF LYMPHATIC SYSTEM Drains fluid back into the bloods

tream from the tissues Filters lymph Filters the blood Fights infections

DRAINING FLUID INTO

THE BLOODSTRE

AM

The fluid leaks out from the

blood vessels into the

body tissues

The leaked fluid

drains into the lymph vessels

Fluid will be carried through

the lymph vessels to

the base of the neck

From neck, it is emptied back into

the bloodstrea

m

FILTERING LYMPHThe lymph nodes filter the lymph

fluid as it passes through. White blood cells attack any bacteria or viruses they find in the lymph as it flows through the lymph nodes. If cancer cells breakaway from a tumor, they often become stuck in the nearest lymph nodes. This is why doctors check lymph nodes first when they are working out how far a cancer has grown or spread.

FILTERING THE BLOODThis is the job of the spleen. It

filters the blood to take out all the old worn out red blood cells and then destroys them. They are replaced by new red blood cells that are made in the bone marrow. The spleen also filters out bacteria, viruses and other foreign particles found in the blood. White blood cells in the spleen attack bacteria and viruses as they pass through.

FIGHTING INFECTION Helping to make special white

blood cells (lymphocytes) that produce antibodies

Having other blood cells called macrophages inside the lymph nodes which swallow up and kill any foreign particles, for example germs.

DISEASES THAT CAN IMPAIR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome): a disorder caused by a virus (HIV) that infects helper T cells and weakens immune response.

ALLERGY: an abnormal immune reaction to an otherwise harmless substance

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE: condition in which the body produces antibodies that attack and destroy the body’s own tissues.

GRAVES’ DISEASE: disorder in which an antibody binds to specific cells in the thyroid gland, forcing them to secrete excess thyroid hormone.

(HIV) Human Immunodeficiency Virus: which infects helper T cells and weakens immune responses, leading to the severe AIDS disorder

LYMPHADENITIS: inflammation of lymph nodes.

LYMPHOMA: general term applied to cancers of the lymphatic system, which include Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the insulation covering nerve fibers in the central nervous system, causing muscular weakness and loss of coordination.

SYSTEMIC LUPUSERYTHEMATOSUS: also called lupus or SLE disorder, disorder in which antibodies attack the body’s own tissues as if they were foreign.

TONSILITIS: infection and swelling of the tonsils.