Get Involved. Health Alerts: Coronavirus. Health Library. Flu Information. Nutrition Videos. Injury Prevention. Community Health Needs Assessment. Body Basics. Spleen and Lymphatic System The lymphatic system is an extensive drainage network that helps keep body fluid levels in balance and defends the body against infections.
Basic Anatomy The lymphatic system is a network of very small tubes or vessels that drain lymph fluid from all over the body. Fighting Infection Lymph fluid enters the lymph nodes, where macrophages fight off foreign bodies like bacteria, removing them from the bloodstream.
Problems of the Lymphatic System Certain diseases can affect the lymph nodes, the spleen, or the collections of lymphoid tissue in certain areas of the body. This is a condition where the lymph nodes become swollen or enlarged, usually because of a nearby infection. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, for example, can be caused by a throat infection.
Once the infection is treated, the swelling usually goes away. If several lymph node groups throughout the body are swollen, that can indicate a more serious disease that needs further investigation by a doctor.
Also called adenitis, this inflammation of the lymph node is caused by an infection of the tissue in the node. The infection can cause the skin overlying the lymph node to swell, redden, and feel warm and tender to the touch. These cancers start in the lymph nodes when lymphocytes undergo changes and start to multiply out of control. The lymph nodes swell, and the cancer cells crowd out healthy cells and may cause tumors solid growths in other parts of the body.
Splenomegaly enlarged spleen. Another useful purpose of your spleen is storing blood. The blood vessels in human spleens are able to get wider or narrower, depending on your body's needs.
When vessels are expanded, your spleen can actually hold up to a cup of reserve blood. If for any reason you need some extra blood — for example, if trauma causes you to lose blood — your spleen can respond by releasing that reserve blood back into your system. Your spleen also plays an important part in your immune system, which helps your body fight infection.
Just as it detects faulty red blood cells, your spleen can pick out any unwelcome micro-organisms like bacteria or viruses in your blood. When one of these invaders is detected in your bloodstream, your spleen, along with your lymph nodes, jumps to action and creates an army of defender cells called lymphocytes.
Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies, special proteins that weaken or kill bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that cause infection. Antibodies and white blood cells also stop infections from spreading through the body by trapping germs and destroying them.
As you've seen, your spleen is a very useful organ, but it is not vital. Sometimes, a person's spleen does have to be surgically removed. This may be because the spleen becomes injured, or it may be taken out in the course of transplanting other organs. Other parts of your body, like your lymph nodes and your liver , are able to step in and take over many of your spleen's functions. Because the spleen is so important to your immune system, people without spleens are more vulnerable to infections.
This is why your doctor may tell you to take extra precautions, such as getting vaccinations, once your spleen has been removed. You will also be prescribed oral antibiotics to take daily; this is another way to prevent infection. Still, it's not uncommon to be without a spleen, and many people are able to enjoy full lives without one. It helps protect the body by clearing worn-out red blood cells and other foreign bodies such as germs from the bloodstream.
The spleen is part of the lymphatic system , which is an extensive drainage network. The lymphatic lim-FAT-ik system works to keep body fluid levels in balance and to defend the body against infections. It is made up of a network of lymphatic vessels that carry lymph — a clear, watery fluid that contains proteins, salts, and other substances — throughout the body.
The spleen acts as a filter. It weeds out old and damaged cells and helps control the amount of blood and blood cells that circulate in the body. The spleen also helps get rid of germs. It contains white blood cells called lymphocytes and macrophages. The spleen is the largest lymphatic organ in the body. Surrounded by a connective tissue capsule , which extends inward to divide the organ into lobules, the spleen consists of two types of tissue called white pulp and red pulp.
The white pulp is lymphatic tissue consisting mainly of lymphocytes around arteries.
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