Lymphatic System

• contents of blood:

  • plasma
  • red blood cells
  • white blood cells
  • platelets
• hydrostatic pressure- the pressure exerted or transmitted by the fluid at rest. caused by the heart's contraction
• Osmotic pressure- a hydrostatic pressure caused by a difference in the amount of solutes between solutions that are separated by a semi-permeable membrane
• The lymphatic system feeds into the veins
• The lacteal in triglyceride digestion links to the lymphatic system
• Phagocytes can use the lymphatic system to bring any antigens that it is presenting to a central location
• Within lymphnodes, B and T lymphocytes congregate making it easier to find the cell that contains bacteria
• T helper cells in lymphnodes allow phagocytes to find the complimentary T cell to its antigen
• Lymphnodes swell when there is an infection
• • at arteriole end, cell fluid out of capillaries via ultrafiltration
  • bathes cells in cell fluid
  • low osmotic pressure at venule end causes cell fluid to return to blood (importance of proteins)
  • excess fluid goes into lymph vessel
  • lymph vessel carries fluid to veins where it returns to circulatory system