Lymphatic system

• The lymphatic system is a crucial part of the circulatory and immune systems.
• It is a network of vessels, tissues, and organs that help maintain fluid balance, remove waste products, and defend the body against infections and diseases.

Main Components of the Lymphatic System

Lymphatic Vessels

• A network of thin-walled vessels that transport lymph, a clear fluid containing excess interstitial fluid, proteins, waste, and immune cells.
• Present throughout the body (except CNS, avascular tissues, and bone marrow), they help maintain fluid balance by returning excess fluid to the bloodstream.

Lymph Nodes

• Small, bean-shaped structures along lymphatic vessels, rich in lymphocytes (B and T cells) and macrophages.
• Filter lymph, detect and eliminate pathogens, and serve as sites for immune cell activation and proliferation.

Lymphoid Organs

• Specialized organs involved in immune function.
• Primary: Bone marrow and thymus (where lymphocytes are generated and mature).
• Secondary: Spleen, tonsils, adenoids, Peyer’s patches (where immune cells interact with antigens and initiate immune responses).

Lymphocytes

• White blood cells crucial for adaptive immunity.
• B cells: Produce antibodies.
• T cells: Regulate immune responses and attack infected or abnormal cells.

The lymphatic system performs several essential functions, including

Fluid balance

• It helps maintain fluid balance by collecting excess interstitial fluid from tissues and returning it to the bloodstream.

Waste removal

• The lymphatic system transports waste products, cellular debris, and foreign particles away from tissues for elimination.

Immune defence

• The lymphatic system is involved in both innate and adaptive immune responses.
• Lymph nodes and other lymphoid organs filter pathogens and abnormal cells from lymph, and immune cells in these tissues help detect and eliminate threats.

Fat absorption

• Lymphatic vessels in the intestines, known as lacteals, absorb dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the digestive system and transport them to the bloodstream.

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