Lymphatic system

Question 1

What is lymph?

Answer 1

interstitial fluid is fluid found between cells; once a lymphatic vessel picks up the fluid, it becomes lymph

Question 2

Where does lymph originate?

Answer 2

in the blood

Question 3

What is found in lymph?

Answer 3

rich in lymphocytes and monocytes (agranulocytes)

Question 4

Where can we find lymph? Where does it flow through?

Answer 4

in lymph capillaries and vessels. flows through lymph nodes and lymphatic organs (liver, spleen, thymus, and nodes)

Question 5

What are the 3 functions of lymph?

Answer 5

1 - drainage (transports proteins and fluid that have leaked back into the bloodstream)
2 - fat absorption (lymphatic vessels absorb lipids from intestines and transports them to the blood stream)
3 - immunity (lymphocytes and monocytes

Question 6

What is the flow of lymph?

Answer 6

• lymph capillaries
• lymph vessels (have valves)
• lymphs nodes (4 main areas in the body of high concentration)
• larger lymph vessels, which lead to 2 large ducts

Question 7

What are the 4 main areas of lymph node concentration?

Answer 7

• cervical (neck)
• axillary (armpit)
• mediastinal (chest)
• inguinal (groin)

Question 8

What is the primary function of lymph?

Answer 8

filter lymph

Question 9

What do we find in the lymph nodes?

Answer 9

• macrophages (monocytes which eventually become macrophages)
• B lymphocytes (B cells): produce antibodies; mature in the bone marrow
• T lymphocytes (T cells): attack bacteria and foreign cells; mature in the thymus gland

Question 10

What is a lymph node?

Answer 10

a mass of stationary lymphatic tissue. there are about 4 afferent (towards) vessels, and 1 efferent (away) vessels

Question 11

What are the 2 large ducts and where are they? How much of the body’s lymph does each drain?

Answer 11

• located in the thoracic cavity (chest)
• right lymphatic duct: drains right side of head and chest/arm. (1/4 of body)
• thoracic ducts: drains lower body and left side of head/chest/arm. (3/4 of body)

Question 12

Where is the spleen? What is its function?

Answer 12

• LUQ
• destroys old red blood cells after 120 days
• filters microorganisms and other foreign material out of the blood
• activates lymphocytes during blood filtration (B and T cells)
• stores blood, especially erythrocytes (RBCs) and platelets

Question 13

What happens when the spleen is injured?

Answer 13

• the spleen is susceptible to injury from a sharp blow
• spleen can rupture and cause massive bleeding
• splenectomy may be necessary; the liver, bone marrow, and lymph nodes take over its functions

Question 14

What is the purpose of the thymus gland?

Answer 14

• site in which T cells mature
• secretes thymosin hormone which helps develop T cells
• lymphoid tissue is replaced by fat as you age

Question 15

Why is the thymus so crucial in early childhood development? What is tolerance?

Answer 15

learns to recognize some antigens as ‘friendly’, like the antigens on blood cells. this is called TOLERANCE

Question 16

What happens if the thymus does not respond to the body’s own antigens friendly?

Answer 16

can result in an autoimmune disease

Question 17

What are the 3 types of tonsils?

Answer 17

• palatine tonsils (the tonsils): found in the oropharynx
• pharyngeal tonsil (aka adenoid): nasopharynx
• lingual tonsils: base of the tongue back in the throat

Question 18

Why do we have 3 tonsils?

Answer 18

to fight off anything we put in our body that may be harmful as soon as it is introduced

Question 19

When will they remove tonsils?

Answer 19

• tonsils are subject to chronic infection

- only really removed if it is impairing breathing