Body system · 3 pieces
Lymphatic & immune
Spleen, thymus and lymph nodes.
Overview
Lymphatic vessels return tissue fluid to the blood and carry it through lymph nodes where immune cells inspect it. The spleen filters blood, recycles old red cells and mounts immune responses; the thymus, large in childhood, trains T lymphocytes. This release models the spleen and the two lobes of the thymus; lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels are not included.
Functions
- Return tissue fluid to the circulation
- Filter blood and lymph
- Produce and mature immune cells
Clinical notes
- Lymphoma and leukaemia
- Splenic rupture after abdominal trauma
- Lymphoedema when drainage is blocked
Organs & groups in this system
Spleen
Filters blood, recycles red cells and houses immune cells.
Thymus
Behind the sternum; trains T lymphocytes in childhood and shrinks with age.
All structures 3
3 modelled pieces. Click a structure to open it in the atlas.