Lymphatic System

A. Functions
1) Defense: Immune responses
A) Roles in innate immunity and especially adaptive immunity
2) Transportation of various substances back to cardiovascular system
A) Lipids, lipid-soluble vitamins (A, E, D, K) & leaked proteins
3) Draining of excess interstitial fluid
A) Returns it to the bloodstream to assure adequate volume
B. Components
1) Lymphatic Vessels
A) Lymphatic capillaries (smallest)
1) Found interwoven between capillary bed & tissue
cells of circulatory system
a) Found in all tissues that have capillary beds (not
in avascular tissues) except bones & bone
marrow, teeth, central nervous system, & parts
of spleen.
2) Closed-ended with mini-valves
a) Large pores (overlapping cells of endothelium
that act as one-way valves, which allows lymph to enter but not exit)
3) Anchoring filaments attach lymphatic capillaries to surrounding tissue (when excess
interstitial fluid build (edema) these pull on the cells & make the openings even bigger)
4) Very permeable; allow any leaked plasma proteins to return to blood
5) Lacteals: specialized lymphatic capillaries found in the intestinal mucosa within the villi
a) Absorb lipid molecules from diet that are too large to enter blood capillaries
b) Lipids travel through lymphatic system before entering the blood
6) Merge to form lymphatic vessels
B) Lymphatic collecting vessels
1) Similar to veins but thinner-walled
& more valves to prevent
backflow
2) Function as a channel for lymph
C) Lymphatic trunks
1) Formed by the union of the largest
collecting vessels
2) Responsible for draining large
areas of the body
3) Four sets of lymph trunks that are
paired with a right and left half, &
one unpaired trunk; named for the
region of the body where they
receive lymph from neck,
a) Jugular (2) located in the neck, drain lymph fluid from the cervical lymph nodes of the
subclavian (2) located beneath the clavicle, drain lymph fluid from the apical lymph
nodes around the armpit, which carry lymph from the arms, bronchomediastinal (2)
located in the chest, drain lymph fluid from the lungs, heart, trachea, mediastinal, &
 mammary glands, lumbar (2) lower pair of lymph trunks that drain lymph fluid from
the legs, pelvic region, & kidneys, and intestinal (1) is the unpaired lymph trunk that
receives chyle (lymph mixed with fats) from the intestines.
D) Lymphatic ducts
1) Final part of the lymphatic system.
2) Receive lymph from the trunks and deliver it to the bloodstream
3) Two ducts in the body
a) Right lymphatic duct
i) Receives lymph from right arm and the right side of the head and thorax
ii) Empties into right subclavian vein
b) Thoracic duct
i) Main collecting duct for lymph; larger of the 2
ii) Receives lymph from all other locations, left side of upper body, entire body inferior
to ribs
iii) Begins at cisterna chyli & empties into left subclavian vein
2) Lymphatic Cells & Tissues
A) Lymphatic cells
1) Lymphocytes: WBC of immune system arise in bone marrow & mature into 1 of 3 types
a) T Lymphocytes which attack & destroy foreign cells
b) B Lymphocytes which become plasma cells that release antibodies
c) Natural killer cells which kill cells that have been bound by antibodies or exhibit
abnormal traits
2) Macrophages: engulf & destroy foreign cells
3) Reticular Cells: similar to fibroblasts; produce reticular fibers that supports other cell types
B) Lymphatic tissue
1) Composed of reticular fibers with many macrophage & lymphocytes
2) Provides a site for lymphocyte proliferation and a surveillance vantage point for
lymphocytes & macrophage
a) Macrophages live on the fibers while lymphocytes “patrol” the spaces between them
3) Predominant in all lymphatic organs except the thymus & red bone marrow
a) 2 types of arrangements
i) Diffuse lymphatic tissue: consist of a few scattered reticular elements & cells, is
found in virtually every body organ
(a) Most common in mucus membranes
ii) Lymphatic nodules: solid spherical bodies consisting of tightly packed reticular
elements and cells
(a) Form part of lymph nodes
(b) Isolated clusters are also found within the intestinal wall (Peyer’s patches) & in
appendix & tonsils
3) Lymphatic Fluid
A) Essentially the same as interstitial fluid
B) Contains many lymphocytes
C) Formation of lymphatic fluid
1) Some components of blood plasma leave capillaries of circulatory system to become
interstitial tissue in body tissues, excess interstitial fluid enters lymphatic capillaries to
become lymph
C. Lymphatic organs
1) Primary lymphatic organs: where stem cells give rise to mature, immunocompetent cells
A) Red bone marrow
1) Site of leukocyte production
a) Pluripotent stem cells give rise to immunocompetent B cells & Pre-T cells
b) B cells (already mature in bone marrow) migrate directly to blood or lymph node
B) Thymus
1) Located between aorta and sternum
2) Pre-T cells migrate to thymus to finish maturation; maturing process signaled by thymic
hormones
3) Left & right lobes, divided into lobules (2 layers)
a) Cortex
i) Pre-T cells begin maturation
ii) Most die in apoptosis (programmed cell death, removes cells that will damage body)
iii) Rest migrates to medulla to continue maturation
b) Medulla
i) Complete maturation
ii) Migrate to secondary organ & tissue
2) Secondary lymphatic organs: where immune responses occur
A) Lymph nodes
1) Predominant lymphatic organs in the
body, approx. 600
2) Often clustered deep in connective tissue
along lymphatic vessels throughout body
but large clusters located in the inguinal
(groin), axillary (armpit) & cervical regions
3) Many macrophages & lymphocytes to
destroy pathogens
4) Lymph sinuses: filter circulating lymph as
it passes through node
5) Capsule made of dense fibrous connective
tissue extends into node as trabeculae,
which form compartments
a) Outer cortex
i) Includes masses of B cells (known
as lymphatic nodules)
ii) where B cells can proliferate &
become antibody-producing
plasma cells or memory B cells
b) Inner Cortex
i) Masses of T cells that can proliferate and leave lymph node
c) Medulla
i) Mass of plasma cells (mature B cells) that have migrated from outer cortex can
produce and release antibodies
B) Spleen: largest lymphatic organ
1) Served by the splenic artery and vein
2) Provides a site for lymphocyte proliferation, immune surveillance & response, & blood
cleansing
a) Removes aged & defective formed elements
3) It has 3 other important functions
a) Stores products from the breakdown of RBC for later use (ex. iron)
b) Produces RBC in the developing fetus
c) Stores platelets
C) Tonsils
1) Protective rings of lymphatic tissue around entrance to digestive & respiratory tracts
2) Appear as swellings of the mucosa
3) Trap bacteria and foreign matter where most are destroyed
4) Early exposure helps develop immunity
5) Named for their location
a) Palatine
i) Found on both sides of the posterior oral cavity
ii) Largest and most often infected
b) Lingual
i) Cluster at the base of the tongue
c) Pharyngeal (adenoids)
 i) Found on posterior wall of nasopharynx
D) Lymphatic nodules
1) Some are found within lymph nodes, others found in all mucus membranes of various
organ systems; near openings of the body to act quickly before infection enters body
2) Composed entirely of lymphocytes
3) Houses defense cells and destroys invaders
4) 3 types of arrangements
a) Peyer’s patches: large clusters of lymphatic nodules found in the walls of the small
intestine
b) Appendix: nodules heavily concentrated in the junction between the small intestine &
large intestine
c) Mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue (MALT): patches of lymphatic nodules in the walls
of the digestive, respiratory, urinary, & reproductive tract
D. Lymphatic Transport
1) Slow & sporadic
2) Driven by same skeletal muscle and respiratory
pumps that help venous return
a) skeletal muscle pump: squeezing from
surrounding skeletal muscles; & smooth
muscle within the lymphatic trunks and the
thoracic duct also help pump lymph
b) respiratory pump: breathing, lymph flows
toward low pressure of thoracic region
3) Movement of lymph
a) Blood Capillaries > Interstitial fluid >
Lymphatic capillaries > Lymphatic vessels
> Lymphatic trunks > Lymphatic ducts >
Vena Cava
b) Lymph flows in through afferent (conducted
inward or toward something) lymphatic
vessels, through sinuses, exits through
efferent (conducting outward or away from
something) lymphatic vessels
E. Disorders of the Lymphatic system
1. Elephantiasis: parasitic infection of the lymph
nodes causing them to become clogged.
a) Improper drainage of lymph results in massive edema, especially of lower regions of the body
2. Tonsillitis: inflammation of the tonsils usually caused by a bacterial infection
3. Appendicitis: inflammation of the appendix usually caused by a bacterial infection
4. Lymphoma: any tumor (benign or malignant) of lymphatic tissue
a) Hodgkin’s disease (15%): a malignancy of the lymph nodes
b) Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (85%): all cancers of lymphatic tissue except Hodgkin’s disease