Lymphatic System Overview chapter 21

A set of flashcards summarizing key terms and definitions related to the lymphatic system.

Lymphatic System

A system that includes tonsils, lymph nodes, spleen, and lymphatic vessels, serving to defend the body against infectious agents and return excess fluid to blood.

Lymph

Fluid transported within lymph vessels, consisting of water, dissolved solutes, and sometimes cell debris, pathogens, or cancer cells.

Lymphatic Capillaries

Smallest lymph vessels that absorb interstitial fluid and have closed ends; larger in diameter than blood capillaries.

Movement of Lymph

Lymph is transported through increasingly larger vessels, including lymphatic capillaries, vessels, trunks, and ducts.

Lymphatic Trunks

Larger structures formed from lymphatic vessels that drain specific body regions, such as jugular and lumbar trunks.

Lymphatic Ducts

The largest lymphatic vessels that drain lymph into the venous circulation; includes the right lymphatic duct and the thoracic duct.

Primary Lymphatic Structures

Structures involved in the formation and maturation of lymphocytes, specifically red bone marrow and the thymus.

Secondary Lymphatic Structures

Structures that do not produce lymphocytes but house them and other immune cells, like lymph nodes and the spleen.

Spleen

The largest lymphatic organ, located in the upper left abdomen, involved in filtering blood and housing lymphocytes.

Tonsils

Secondary lymphatic structures located in the pharynx, help protect against foreign substances.

Lymph Nodes

Small, encapsulated structures that filter lymph and remove unwanted substances, typically found in clusters.

MALT

Mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue involved in the immune response located in the gastrointestinal, respiratory, genital, and urinary tracts.