CH. 21: The Immune System Flashcards
(133 cards)
What is the lymphatic system?
An extensive network of one-way lymphatic vessels, lymphatic tissues and organs
What is the function of the lymphatic system?
Return of excess fluid (3 liters/day)
Defense against disease using lymphocytes at the lymph nodes
Transportation of absorbed fats by lymphatics moving filtered proteins to the venous fluids (too big for capillaries)
Return of filtered proteins because filtered proteins cannot return back into the capillaries so they are returned through the venous fluids via lymphatics
No unique functions of its own (has to work with other systems)
What are lymph and its components?
An interstitial fluid that moves into lymphatic capillaries due to pressure gradient during the capillary exchange
-15% of fluid does not get reabsorbed back into the capillaries
-Blood is not returned as much as it was filtered out, so it goes through the lymphatic vessels
Components:
-Water & dissolved solutes
-Few proteins
-Foreign materials (cellular debris, pathogens, metastasized cancer cells)
What are lymphatic capillaries and its components?
Are initial lymphatics located at the terminal end of the lymphatic system
Components:
-Blind-ended
-Intertwined with the capillary bed
-Interspersed throughout areolar connective tissue except in red bone marrow and CNS
-Absent in avascular tissue
What is the structure of lymphatic capillaries?
Larger than capillaries
Lack of a basement membrane
Possess free-edged overlapping endothelial cells serving as one-way mini valves to allow fluid into the capillary
Anchoring filaments hold the endothelial cells in place to prevent lymphatics from collapsing due to excessive interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure (HPif)
What happens when you move lymph into lymphatics?
The pressure drives function where interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure (HPif) forces fluid between endothelial cells, and internal hydrostatic pressure forces endothelial cells together preventing fluid outflow to ECF
Escaped proteins, cellular debris, & pathogens are shunted to lymphatics because the openings are larger than capillary pores (following the direction of bulk flow)
What are lymphatic vessels and their components?
Vessels that are formed by the convergence of the lymphatic capillaries
Superficial lymphatics are adjacent to superficial veins, and deep lymphatic vessels are adjacent to both deep arteries and veins
Posses all 3 vessel tunics and one-way valves
Lacks a pump so it relies on the skeletal and respiratory pump to drive pulsatile movement of blood in nearby arteries. The rhythmic contraction of lymphatic smooth muscle also helps with lymph flow
What are lymphatic trunks and their components?
They form the union of lymphatic vessels and are named for the region of the body from which they collect lymph
Paired Trunks (right & left)
-Jugular: head and neck
-Subclavian: upper limbs, breasts, & superficial thoracic wall
-Bronchomediastinal: deep thoracic structures
-Lumbar: lower limbs, pelvis, and abdominopelvic wall
Unpaired Trunks
-Intestinal: most abdominal structures
What are lymphatic ducts and their components?
They are where lymph empties into the venous circulation
Consists of right lymphatic duct and thoracic duct
What are the components of the thoracic duct?
Larger of the two ducts and is responsible for the rest of the body extending from the left subclavian and jugular veins and consist of the cisterna chyli at the end of the duct
Cisterna Chyli
-Receives from vessels that drain the small intestine, intestinal trunk, and from lumbar trunk
-Lipid-rich lymph (chyle)
What are primary lymphatic structures?
Involved in the formation and maturation of lymphocytes
Includes the red bone marrow and thymus
What are secondary lymphatic structures?
House lymphocytes and other immune cells following their formation
Provide the site where an immune response is initiated
Includes the lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, lymphatic nodules, and MALT
What are red bone marrow and its components?
They are found in between trabeculae in selected portions of spongy bone
In adults, it includes flat bones of the skull, vertebrae, ribs, sternum, ossa coxae, and proximal epiphysis of the humerus & femur
Responsible for hematopoiesis:
-T-cells: must migrate from bone marrow to thymus to complete maturation
-B-cells: mature in the bone marrow
What are the thymus and its components?
Composition:
-Lobules are composed primarily of the epithelium to secrete hormones (thymopoietin & thymosins) that participate in T-cell maturation
-Infiltrated with T-cells at various stages of maturation
The most important function is early in life and continues to grow until puberty and regresses into adulthood (thymic tissue is replaced by adipose tissue)
What is the structure of the thymus?
Two fused lobes surrounded by a connective tissue capsule
Extensions of the capsule (trabeculae) subdivide the lobes into lobules
Lobules are arranged by the outer region (cortex) and inner region (medulla)
Blood-thymus barrier prevents entry of bloodborne pathogens into the cortex and premature activation of the immature T-cell
What is the difference between macrophages, dendritic cells, and immune cells within the secondary lymphatic structures?
Macrophages - phagocytize foreign substances
Dendritic Cells - capture antigens & bring them to the lymph nodes
Immune cells - are enmeshed within a reticular extracellular matrix
How are the secondary lymphatic structures are organized?
Organized into either an organ or an aggregate of lymphatic nodules in the presence/absence of a dense irregular CT capsule
Complete CT capsule = organ
-Lymph nodes and spleen
Incomplete or absent capsule = other lymphatic structure
-Tonsils, MALT, and diffuse lymphatic nodules
What are lymph nodes and their components?
Clusters that receive lymph from selected body regions or individually throughout the body
-Most are embedded in CT and not readily observed
-Large clusters are found near the body surface in the axillary, inguinal, and cervical regions
Functions to filter the lymph before it returns to the bloodstream
-Macrophages in the node destroy microorganisms and other cellular debris to prevent them from entering the bloodstream
-Monitor for the presence of antigens and mount attacks against them
What is the lymph node structure?
Capsule
Outer cortex
Inner medulla
Cortical and Medullary sinuses
What are the components of the capsule of the lymph node?
It is a dense fibrous enclosure made of trabeculae
Trabeculae
-connective tissue strands that extend from the capsule to divide the node into compartments
What are the components of the outer cortex of the lymph node?
It is the activation and proliferation site of lymphocytes that is divided into the lymphatic nodules
Lymphatic Nodule
-Composed of reticular fibers
-Activation/proliferation site for B-cells in inner germinal centers
-Outer mantle zone contains T-cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells
What are the components of the inner medulla of the lymph node?
It is the center of most portion of the node
Consists of medullary cords
-CT extension from the lymphoid tissue of the cortex
-Supports B-cells, T-cells, and macrophages
What are the components of the sinuses in the lymph node?
The lymph capillary system allows the lymph to be exposed to the cells in the node that is lined with macrophages
Includes cortical and medullary sinuses
How does lymph flow through the nodes?
- Afferent Lymphatic Vessels
-Numerous - Sinuses (cortical and medullary)
-Macrophages remove foreign debris
-Lymphocytes come into contact with foreign debris and become activated
-Cortical Sinus initiates B-cell activation and proliferation
-Medullary Sinus is where B-cells & T-cells enter the circulation to sites of infection - Efferent Lymphatic Vessel
-Only one per many afferent vessels because lymph flows slow down in the node to allow the cells within the node to be exposed longer to the lymph and perform their protective function
-Originates from the hilum
Lymph nodes move through a series of nodes (in a cluster) and the same lymph is repeatedly screened for unwanted materials