The Lymphatic System

 P.751 The lymphatic system consists

of two parts:
 (1) lymphatic vessels
 (2) lymphoid tissues and organs
 The lymphatic vessels transport back to
the blood any fluids that have escaped
from the blood vascular system
 The lymphoid organs house phagocytic
cells and lymphocytes, which play
essential roles in the body’s defense
mechanisms and its resistance to
disease
 P.752 Lymphatic Vessels – The fluid
that remains in the tissue spaces, as
much as 3 L daily, becomes part of the
interstitial fluid

 The leaked fluid, plus any plasma proteins
that escape from the blood stream must be
carried back to the blood to ensure that the
CV system has sufficient blood volume to
operate properly
 Once excess protein containing interstitial
fluid enters the lymphatics, it is called lymph
 The lymphatic vessels form a one-way system
in which lymph flows only toward the heart
 This transport system begins in microscopic
blind-ended lymphatic capillaries
 Lymph capillaries are widespread , however,
they are absent in bones and teeth, bone
marrow and the central nervous system
 Although similar to blood capillaries,
lymphatic capillaries are remarkably
permeable
 Just as blood capillaries, converge to
form venules to veins; lymph capillaries
unite to form lymphatic vessels, then
trunks, and then ducts
 P.753 Proteins in the interstitial space are
unable to enter blood capillaries but they can
enter lymphatic capillaries
 Lacteals – are highly specialized lymphatic
capillaries present in the fingerlike villi of the
intestinal mucosa
 Chyle – the fatty lymph is also delivered to
the blood via the lymphatic system
 P.754 Lymph is eventually delivered to one
of two large ducts:
 The right lymphatic duct –
 The much larger thoracic duct –
 Each terminal duct empties its lymph into the
venous circulation at the junction of internal
jugular vein and subclavian vein on its own
side of the body
Lymph Transport
 Under normal conditions, lymphatic
vessels are low pressure conduits, and
the same mechanism that promote
venous return in blood vessels act here
as well – the muscular pump and the
respiratory pump; and valves to prevent
backflow
Lymphoid cells
 P.754 Lymphocytes – the main warriors
of the immune system, arise in red
bone marrow (along with other formed
elements)
 They mature into one of the two main
varieties of immunocompetent cells:
T and B lymphocytes, that protect
body against antigens
 T lymphocytes (T cells) – directly
attack and destroy foreign cells
 B lymphocytes (B cells) – protect the
body by producing plasma cells, that
generates antibodies
 Antibodies immobilize antigens until
they can be destroyed by phagocytes or
other means
 Lymphoid Tissue – is an important
part of the immune system, because it:
 (1) houses and provides a proliferation
site for lymphocytes
 (2) an ideal surveillance vantage for
lymphocytes and phagocytes
 Composed of reticular connective
tissue
Lymph Nodes

 P.755 Lymph Nodes – The principal

lymphoid organs in the body, which
cluster along the lymphatic vessels of
the body
 Large clusters of lymph nodes occur
near the body surface in the inguinal,
axillary, and cervical regions, places
where lymphatic collecting vessels
converge to form trunks
 Lymph nodes have two basic functions,
both concerned with body protection.
(1) They act as lymph “filters.”
Macrophages in the nodes remove and
destroy microorganisms & other debris
(2) They help activate the immune
system. Lymphocytes monitor the
presence of antigen and mount an
attack against them
 P.755 Structure of a lymph node – It
has two distinct regions, the cortex
and the medulla
 Circulation in the lymph node –
Lymph enters the convex side of a
lymph node called afferent lymphatic
vessels and exits through the concave
side, via efferent lymphatic vessels
 There are fewer efferent vessels
draining the node than afferent vessels
feeding it, the flow of lymph through
the node stagnates somewhat, allowing
time for the lymphocytes and
macrophages to carry out their
protective functions. Lymph passes
through several nodes before it is
completely cleansed
 P.757 Other Lymphoid Organs – Spleen,
thymus, tonsils, payer’s patches etc.
 Spleen is the single mass of lymphoid organ
 P 758 Thymus – It functions during the
early years of life. By secreting thymosin and
thymopoietin, thymus causes T lymphocytes
to become immunocompetent (mature); that
is, it enables them to function against specific
pathogens in the immune response
 Thymus is prominent in newborns, and
continues to increase in size during
childhood (10 – 12 years of age), when
it is most active.
 During adolescence its growth stops,
and it starts atrophy gradually. By old
age it atrophies and replaced by fibrous
and fatty tissue
 P.759 Tonsils – are the simplest
lymphoid organs
 Peyer’s patches - are large clusters of
lymphoid follicles located in the small
intestine
 Mucosa-associated lymphatic
tissue (MALT) – found in the digestive
and respiratory tract
Lymphatic Organs
 P.775 Primary – red bone marrow and
thymus; they produce
immunocompetent T & B lymphocytes:
B & pre-T cells are produce in the red
bone marrow; pre-T cells become
T cells in the thymus
 Secondary – lymph nodes, spleen etc.
Most immune responses occur