Vocabulary
What is the lymphatic system?
The lymphatic system is a group of organs, glands, and cells that fight pathogens, collect leaked fluids, and return it to the blood. Produces, stores, monitors, recycles, and destroys blood cells.
What is the spleen?
The spleen is the largest lymphatic organ. It stores and produces lymphocytes. The spleen is a soft and squishy organ about the size of a fist, and is located on the upper left side of the abdomen.
What is a ruptured spleen?
A ruptured spleen is a tear in the spleen due to blunt force trauma.
What areas of the body have the highest concentration of lymph nodes?
Armpits, neck, and groin.
How do the Lymphatic and Cardiovascular systems work together to maintain homeostasis?
The lymphatic and cardiovascular systems work together to maintain homeostasis by collecting excess fluids that leak out of the bloodstream and returns it to the bloodstream filtered of pathogens. If this didn't happen, the blood wouldn't have any fluid.
What is lymph?
The fluid that leaks out of the cardiovascular system and is collected by lymphatic vessels. It contains dead cells, wastes, and pathogens before being filtered.
What is red and white pulp?
Red Pulp: Produced in the spleen. It stores, recycles, monitors, and destroys red blood cells.
White Pulp: Produced in the Spleen. It stores, produces, and monitors white blood cells.
Tonsilitis occurs when the tonsils become inflamed and may need to be removed.
Describe an accessory spleen.
An accessory spleen occurs when spleen cells separate from the main body of the spleen and form a tiny, second spleen. Around 10% of the population has one, and they are found by accident.
How do the Lymphatic, Skeletal, and Muscular systems work together to maintain homeostasis?
The lymphatic, skeletal, and muscular systems work together to maintain homeostasis by allowing lymph to flow. As skeletal muscles pull on bones to move, they contract and relax. This movement allows lymph to flow throughout the body. This helps your body return fluid to the blood, and if this didn't occur, lymph would pool up, causing inflammation.
What are lymphatic vessels?
Lymphatic Vessels: Large tubes that carry lymph.
Lymphatic Capillaries: Smaller tubes that absorb pathogens and dead cells that are too large to enter blood capillaries.
What are lymphocytes?
Lymphocytes are white blood cells that fight pathogens in the lymphatic system. There are B and T Cells.
What is Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is cancer in the lymph nodes.
What are 4 things that the spleen does with red blood cells?
Stores, recycles, monitors, and destroys red blood cells.
How do B-cells and T-cells work together to maintain homeostasis?
B cells find a pathogen and report to the Helper T cell to become activated. Once the B cell is activated, it marks the pathogen for death using antibodies. The antibodies attach to the pathogen's antigens and slow it down, disable it, and prevent it from reproducing. Helper T cells then activate Killer T cells to identify the marked pathogen, surround it, and inject a deadly cytotoxin to it.
What are the tonsils?
The tonsils are the lymphatic tissues at the back of the mouth that help fight infection.
What is the Thymus?
The Thymus is the main gland in the lymphatic system. It is located just above the heart, and produces and matures T cells.
Describe Lymphedema.
Lymphedema is swelling due to excess lymph buildup.
What is a tonsil stone?
A tonsil stone occurs when particles buildup and get trapped in the tonsils. Over time the trapped particles and bacteria build up and form a tonsil stone.
What are lymph nodes?
Organs that filter lymph and are found along lymphatic vessels. There are 600-700 lymph nodes in the body. They swell when you have an infection and are mainly found in the armpits, neck, and groin.
What are B cells and T cells?
B cells: Produced in bone marrow. Lymphocytes that produce antibodies that help disable pathogens and mark them for death.
T cells: Produced in bone marrow but mature in the thymus. 5 million in a teaspoon of blood. Fight pathogens, infection, and cancer.
Helper T cells: Activate B and Killer T cells. They control the immune response.
Killer T cells: Also known as cytotoxic T cells because they inject a deadly cytotoxin into pathogens.
What is a glandular fever?
A glandular fever is caused by an infection in the body's glands. Lymph nodes may swell up.
Why do lymph nodes swell when you have an infection?
Lymph nodes swell when you have an infection because lymphocytes are fighting the infection.