Ch. 9 Key Terms - Lymphatic System and Immunity
Cisterna (chyli)
It's an enlarged, pouchlike structure at the start of the thoracic duct that serves as a storage area for purified lymph before it returns to the bloodstream.
Immunity
The ability to resist an infection. It's achieved through the presence of antibodies to a specific disease in a person's system.
Lacteal
Specialized lymphatic capillaries in the area of the small intestine that pick up digested fats or lipids.
Lymph
A thin, watery fluid made of intercellular (or interstitial) fluid. It forms when plasma diffuses into tissue spaces and contains water, nutrients, salts, hormones, waste products, and lymphocytes.
Small, round, or oval masses (popularly called "glands") located throughout the body. They filter the lymph to remove impurities like pathogens, cancer cells, and dead blood cells, and they also produce lymphocytes and antibodies.
Lymphatic System
Consists of lymph, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, and lymphatic tissue. It works with the circulatory system to remove wastes and excess fluids from the tissues.
Lymphatic Vessels
Located throughout the body, these vessels include small, open-ended "drainpipes" called lymphatic capillaries that pick up lymph at the tissues.
Right Lymphatic Duct
The short tube that receives all the purified lymph from the right side of the head and neck, the right chest, and the right arm.
Spleen
An organ located beneath the left side of the diaphragm. It produces leukocytes and antibodies, destroys old red blood cells, stores erythrocytes, and filters wastes from body tissues.
Thoracic Duct
A large tube that drains lymph from the rest of the body (i.e., not the areas drained by the right lymphatic duct).
Thymus
A mass of lymph tissue located in the center of the upper chest. In early life, it produces antibodies and manufactures lymphocytes to fight infection.
Tonsils
Masses of lymphatic tissue (including palatine, pharyngeal/adenoids, and lingual) that filter interstitial fluid.