Lymphatic System Flashcards
What does the lymphatic system consist of?
Cells, tissues and organs and is distributed throughout the body
Lymphatic system functions to…
- provide a defense mechanism
- return extracellular fluid to circulatory system
- Transport nutrients, waste and hormones into circulatory system
lacteals
lipids absorbed in the small intestine by these specialized lymph vessels
lymphoid cells
B and T-lymphocytes and monocytes (macrophages)
recirculation of lymphocytes
critical for immune protections, i.e. the site of detection is usually not he site of infection
B-lymphocytes
humoral mediated
T-lymphocytes
cell mediated
Lymphoid tissues
B-cells forming nodules. reticular fiber network, located in a mucosa of digestive, urinary, respiratory, and reproductive tracts
Types of Lymphoid tissues (NOT GLANDS, NOT ORGANS)
MALT (either mucosa, gut or bronchiole), tonsils, peyer’s patches (aggregated lympoid nodules)
Lymphoid organs
must be surrounded by a capsule to be an organ. tonsils are not organs.
Characterized by dense connective tissue capsule, cortical trabeculae divide organ into compartments. Divided into Primary or Secondary organs
Primary/Central lymphoid organs
Bone marrow and thymus. Do not fight infection. Lymphocytes arise and are educated here
Secondary/Peripheral lymphoid organs
sites where lymphocytes respond. Spleen and lymph nodes
Spleen
removes antigens in blood, defective blood cells, stores iron removed from destroyed RBCs. supplied by splenic artery, drained by splenic vein. Red and “white” pulp
Lymph nodes
many, small, filter lymph
Thymus
2 lobed organ. Degenerates as we age. Found behind manubrium in adult, looks like fat. maturation of T-lymphocytes. Has cortex and medulla. Does not destroy antigens!
Cortex of thymus
densely packed dividing T-cells achieving immunocompetence. maturing T-cells that recognize “self” antigens are destroyed. surviving T-cells enter medulla
Medulla of thymus
lightly packed T-cells, light staining. Thymic (Hassall’s) corpuscles-collections of degenerating epithelial reticular cells.
epithelial reticular cells in thymus
- produces thymic hormones
- stimulates maturation of T-cells
- isolates thymocytes from antigens
- destroys T-cells that recognize self
White pulp of spleen
Lymphoid nodules. central arteries enter into the white pulp through the lymphoid nodules. (splenic artery-trabecular artery-central artery-capillaries)
Central arteries surrounded by lymphoid tissue. Called PALS. nodules called PWP. white pulp=PALS + nodule
PALS of spleen
Periarterial lymphocytes sheath. dense area of T-lymphocytes
PWP
peripheral white pulp. area of B-lymphocytes
Marginal zone of spleen white pulp
capillaries drain into area surrounding sheaths. site of activation and destruction. site of T and B-lymphocytes and macrophages. antigens from the blood enter lymph tisse, activate the immune response, and are destroyed. T-lymphocytes and antibodies flow into sinusoids then into circulation
Red pulp of spleen
large quantities of RBCs. venous sinuses-blood flows from marginal zone and forms sinusoids. Splenic cords-fibrous reticular connective tissue and macrophages, surround the venous sinuses, phagocytose and destroy defective RBCs
Lymph nodes
not glands, but ORGANS. they have a capsule. filters lymph along the network of lymph vessels. intersects with immune system.Antigens not only destroyed, but activate T and B-lymphocytes