Lymphatic system Flashcards
Breifly describe the Lymphatic system:
-appart of the immune system and its made of a network of vessles called lymph vessles that carry lymph fluid UP to the heart unidirectionally
Lymph fluid
A clear fluid that started off as blood plasma which will eventually make its way back to venous return as blood plasma again
Where does lymph fluid come from?
*two fates
-Started off as blood plasma!
-when plasma leaks out of capillaries it has two fates…
1.90% of the fluod that leaks out undergoes gas/nutrient exhange and returns to capillaries as blood
2.10% of fluid that leaks out becomes trapped and becomes LYMPH FLUID!!
Lymph capilllaries
-the way that lymph leaves body tissues
-most are superficial in the skin but some are deep
-creates a mesh like structure of tubes
Lacteal
-A specialized type of lymph capillary that is found inside villi of small intestine and large inteatine (mostly in small intestine though)
-transports LIPIDS as they get absorbed in intestinal wall
Lymph vessles
-goal of lymph vessles is to return lymph fluid back to heart
-start off as a col-de-sac structure
-have large diameter to hold fluid
What are the walls of lymph vessles like?
They are thin with a irregular shape that are more similar to veins that arteries. They have a tunia externa
what is the flow of lymph fluid controlled by?
based of lymph fluid volume!
lymphatic vessles are seperatred into functional units called _____?
lymphogions
Lymphgions
functional units that have smooth muscle and one-way valves to help move lymph to heart
What is a lymph node?
How many do we have?
-a small,spherical structure that house lymphocytes (mature B and T cells) and macropgaes
-filter lymph fluid before it returns to circulatory system
-we have about 600-700 in our body!!
if there is an infection in our body do lymph nodes get smaller or bigger?
they get bigger due to Lymphocyte action
Lymph only flows _____ through the body traveling from the extremities through the body to the ____
Lymph only flows UPWARD through the body traveling from the extremities through the body to the NECK
How is lymph flow seperated?
into two seperate and unequal drainage areas
The right Lymphatic duct drains how much of our lymph fluid?
25%
