Lymphatic System Flashcards
What is a “portal” circulation?
Circulation that bypasses the heart (comes from capillary bed through blood vessels and to another capillary bed)
Describe the hepatic portal circulation
Nutrient-rich blood is drained from the digestive organs (stomach, intestines, spleen, gall bladder, and pancreas) to the hepatic portal vein and then to the liver for processing
What is plasma inside the lymphatic system called?
Lymph
What’s the mechanical function of the lymphatic system?
A drain
What happens to water on the arterial side of capillary beds?
It exits
How much water/plasma do we lose to the extracellular matrix of tissues every day?
about 3L
What do lymphatic vessels do?
Soak up all the extra water and return it to the cardiovascular system
How do tissue cells receive fat-breakdown products?
Via an extra pathway by the lymph. Lacteals empty into lymphatic ducts which dump into large veins in neck, into bloodstream, and into capillary beds
Where are the 3 clusters of lymph nodes?
Cervical, axillary, inguinal
What is an antigen?
Any peptide that stimulates an immune response
What are antibodies?
Big Y-shaped proteins with diff. amino acid side chains. Each antibody binds 2 antigens. Made exclusively by B-lymphocytes
How do B and T cells work?
They generate memory cells to provide faster response to bacterial/viral infection. They bind/tag antigens and when immune cells come across an antigen bound to an antibody, that elicits the cell’s destructive rxn
What is the spleen made of?
Reticular collagen and elastin fibers
What happens to old RBCs in spleen?
They get trapped in reticular fibers and macrophages digest them and recycle components (newer RBCs are more flexible and dodge the fibers and leave the spleen)
Where are platelets stored?
In the spleen
