Lymphoid Organs Flashcards
(47 cards)
Distribution of lymphoid organs
- bone marrow
- thymus
- lymph nodes
- spleen
- tonsils
- Peyer’s patches
- important components of the immune system
- immune responses are largely initiated and generated within the lymphoid organs
central components of the immune system
-primary lymphoid organs-bone marrow and thymus
peripheral lymphoid organs
- secondary
- lymph nodes
- spleen
- tonsils
- Peyer’s patches
extralymphoid tissues and organs
- GI
- Resp
- Urinary
- Repro
- skin
- blood
- lymph
- wandering lymphocytes
lymphocyte recirculation
- blood-lymphoid organs-blood
- permits continuous immune surveillance and ensures rapid response to antigens
- connects the three components of the immune system
small/medium lymphocytes
- 30% of leukocytes
- B cells
- T cells
- NK cells
reticular cells
- make reticular fibers
- form a spongelike meshwork that supports the lymphocytes
- mesenchymal origin
- large cells
- numerous cytoplasmic processes
- processes wrap around reticular fibers
types of reticular tissue in hematopoietic organs
- lymphoid tissue-free cells are largely lymphocytes
- myeloid tissue-free cells are developing erythrocytes and granular leukocytes (bone marrow)
functions of mesenchymal reticular cells
- synthesis and maintenance of the ECM
- phagocytosis
- trophic role in blood cell formation
- storage place of ferritin
- antigen processing and presentation-dendritic in both sense of the word
loose lymphoid tissue
-reticular cells
dense lymphoid tissue
-lymphocytes
nodular lymphoid tissue
- compact
- spherical
- lack a CT capsule
- consist mostly of B cells
- primary and secondary with germinal center
- not limited to lymphoid organs
secondary lymphatic nodules
- germinal center with numerous activated B cells
- antigenic stimulation
- surrounded by mantle
germinal center
- B cell:
- proliferation
- selection
- apoptosis
- differentiation
- storage
- appear during primary antigenic response and involute in about 4 weeks
lymph nodes
- in line filters of lymph system
- capsule
- trabeculae
- hilum
- medulla
- cortex
- capsule
- subcapsular sinus (made of loose lymphoid tissue)
components of the cortex
- loose lymphoid tissue:subcapsular and peritrabecular sinuses
- lymphatic nodules-primary and/or secondary contain mostly B cells
components of the medulla
- dense lymphoid tissue:medullary cords populated largely by B cells and plasma cells
- loose lymphoid tissue: medullary sinuses (numerous reticular cells)
- structures of the sinuses facilitates the filtering function of the nodes
flow through a lymph node
- afferent vessels with valves pointing in
- subcapsular sinus
- trabecular sinus
- medullary sinus
- efferent vessels valves pointing the other way
High endothelial venule
- fat cells
- lymphocytes leave the efferent vessel and come back through the arteries to HEVs
- homing addressins on HEVs with corresponding receptors on lymphocytes
- helps cells perform diapedesis to get out of BV
- found in tonsils, Peyer’s patches, but not in spleen or thymus
key molecules in lymphocyte homing
- selectins
- integrins
- carbs (sugars and mucins)
- immunoglobulin superfamily members (ICAM VCAM)
medical relevance of HEVs
- play a role in lymphocyte recirculation-contribute to specificity
- decrease in number with age (immunologic function decreases with age)
- implicated in metastasis of lymphoid malignancies
deep cortex
- aka paracortex or tertiary cortex
- located between the cortex and the medulla
- location of HEVs
- most lymphocytes are T
functions of lymph nodes
- filtration of lymph
- production and selection of B lymphocytes
- immune response to lymph born antigens
fetal thymus
- dual embryological origin- epithelial lining of 3rd and 4th brachial pouches and surrounding mesenchyme
- develops early
- maximum size within first year of life
- capsule
- trabeculae
- lobular
- cortex-dense lymphoid tissue
- medulla-loose lymphoid tissue