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The lymphatic system is very important as it is your
body's first |
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defense to fight infections. The lymphatic system
also absorbs |
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fats in the digestion system, and provides and
regulates fluid |
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around your cells so that they won't swell up or
explode. But |
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how does the lymphatic system work and what does it
do? |
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Capillaries constantly produce interstital fluid.
Which must be |
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returned to the blood stream from the tissues in your
body. |
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When lymphatic vessels are blocked, the fluid goes to
nearby |
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tissues which then swell. This swelling is called
edema. |
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Valves in the lymphatic vessels cause lymph to flow
in only |
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one direction, forward, toward the thoracic duct. |
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Fighting Infections |
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When it comes to fighting infections, your body has
lymphocytes |
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and macrophages which come to the rescue! Lymphocytes
produce |
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anitbodies. Macrophages swallow foreign objects
(things that |
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shouldn't be in your body). Lymph nodes drain
infected areas, |
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and durring an infection, they can swell. |
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When doctors transplant an organ or tissue from one
body to |
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another, sometimes it is rejected. Your lymphatic
system senses |
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that it is a foreign object and tries to destroy it.
Doctors have to |
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reduce the production of antibodies so that your body
won't |
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reject the transplant. |
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Fat Absorption |
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Vessels called lacteals absorb fats in your
intestines. The lacteals |
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contain a white lymph resulting from the fats that
were absorbed. |
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The white lymph is taken to your liver to be stored.
The white lymph |
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is called chyle. Before going to the liver with
protien and other |
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substances, it stops at the cisterna chili. The
cisterna chili is part |
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of the thoracic duct. |
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