Lecture 23 - Lymphatic System Flashcards
What is the alternate name for the Lymphatic System?
Reticuloendothelial system (RES)
Where is lymph NOT found?
In the CNS (Brain and spinal cord)
How is the Lymphatic system organised?
Lymph
Lymphatic vessels
Lymphoid tissues and organs
What is the pH of lymph?
7.4
What is Chyle?
Lymph from the GI tract that contain fats and dissolved lipids so is cloudy
Contains CHYLomicrons and fat sol vitamins
What are the smallest type of lymphatic vessels to the largest?
Lymphatic capillaries
Lymphatic vessels
Lymphatic Trunks
Lymphatic Ducts
How are lymphatic capillaries held in place and what type of fibrous protein makes these fibres?
Reticulin fibres
Made by Collagen III
What is unique about the endothelial cells of lymphatic capilaries?
They are not attached to a basement membrane
They are overlapping
What contributes to the flow of lymph through lymphatics?
Muscle contraction from surrounding muscle helps propel lymph
The lymphatic trunks and ducts have smooth muscle cells in there walls preventing them from expanding to much. This aids the flow of lymph against gravity
Where are lymphatic vessels found and how does lymph flow?
Near cardiovascular vessels( capillaries, arteries and veins)
Unidirectional
Flows superficial to deep (outside to inside)
How does a lymphatics capillary compare to a vein?
Both low pressure systems
Both have valves
Lymph capillaries don’t have cells unless infection
Lymph capillaries squeezed by veins and arteries propelling lymph
Generally how does lymph flow?
Excess tissue fluid collected by Lymphatic capillary
Lymphatic capillary——> Lymphatic vessel
Lymphatic vessel ——> lymphatic node
Lymphatic node——> lymphatic trunk
Lymphatic duct ——> Drains lymph back into venous circulation
What duct drains lymph from the the Upper Right Quadrant (RUQ) back into venous circulation?
What is the name of the blood vessel that it drains it into?
The Right Lymphatic duct
Into the Right Subclavian vein
What duct drains lymph from the body that is NOT from the RUQ?
What is the name of the blood vessel t drains it into?
The Thoracic duct
Left subclavian vein
Name 3 clinically important lymph nodes
Cervical lymph nodes (neck)
Inguinal lymph nodes (groin)
Axillae lymph nodes (Armpit)
What is the structure of a Lymph node?
Kidney shaped
Have nodules called Follicles
Each nodule has multiple afferent lymphatic vessels and efferent lymphatic vessels
What is the Concave hilum of the lymph node?
Where the single efferent lymphatic vessel leaves the lymph node
Where the feeding artery and draining vein enter and leave the lymph node
Which region of the lymph node contains the nodules/follicles/germinal centres of the lymph node?
Cortex
What cells are contains within the follicles/nodules of a lymph node?
Immune cells:
-Macrophages
-Dendritic cells
-B and T lymphocytes
-Plasma cells
What is the main connective tissue fibre found in a lymph node?
Reticulin made by collagen 3
Made by reticular cells (modified fibroblasts)
How can you identify a follicle/nodule/germinal centre in a lymph node?
Outer ring of dark purple
Inner lighter pink centre
What is the difference between B cells and T cells?
T cells attack invaders that invade the inside of cells
B cells attack invaders outside cells
What is a follicular dendritic cell?
What is the function of a follicular dendritic cell?
A type of dendritic cell which resides in the follicles of the lymph node
They act as Professional Antigen Presenting Cells (APCs)
They cause B cell proliferation in memory B cells
Last for many years (immunity)
What is the function of T helper cells?
They stimulate/help B cells make antibodies by binding to B cells with the antigen receptor for that pathogen
Which of the lymphocytes B or T need to be presented with the antigen?
T lymphocytes need to have the antigen presented to them