The Lymphatic System

1. The Lymphatic System By: Michael Broughton Caitlin Hodgson

2. Vocabulary • Plasma-- straw-colored fluid that makes up about 55% of blood. • Hemoglobin-- iron-containing protein in red blood cells that transplant O2 from the lungs to the tissues of the body. • Lymphocytes– type of white blood cell that produces antibodies that help pathogens. • Platelet– cell fragment released by bone marrow that helps in blood clotting. • Lymph– fluid lost by the blood into surrounding tissue.

3. Plasma • Is 90% H2O, and 10% everything else (dissolved gasses, salts, nutrients, enzymes, hormones, waste products, and plasma proteins) • 55% of blood is plasma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blood-centrifugation-scheme.png

4. Plasma Proteins • Albumins– regulates osmotic pressure and blood volume. Globulins and Albumins transport substances such as fatty acids, hormones, and vitamins • Fibrinogens– allows the blood to clot. (Anticoagulants in vampire bat saliva can be used in medicine to stop over clotting of blood.) http://www.batcon.org/index.php?option=com_vrc&task=results&Itemid=169&ddlsuborder=2&ddlfamily=95&ddlgenus=237&ddlspecies=2269&ddlcommonname=453055412&ddlToShow=128

5. Platelets & Blood Clotting • Certain large cells in bone marrow break into thousands of small pieces. Each cytoplasm fragment enclosed in a piece of cell membrane is released into the bloodstream as a platelet. • When platelets come into contact with a broken blood vessel, their surfaces become sticky and they cluster around the wound. • The fibrinogen protein is released and creates a mesh of fibrin filaments to stop the bleeding by producing the clot.

6. Blood Cells • Red Blood Cells– transport O2, get their color from hemoglobin. • White Blood Cells– guard against infection, fight parasites, & attack bacteria. Contains NO hemoglobin.

7. Lymphatic System • Made up of vessels, nodes, and organs. • Collects fluid lost by blood and returns back to circulatory system. • This fluid is known as lymph. • Lymph vessels act like large veins. • Contains organs such as tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and thymus

8. Lymph nodes • Are usually too small to be visible or felt. They are soft, small, and are either round or bean like in shape. • Used to create cells that have immunities to aid in fighting infection. They also filter lymph fluid and remove things such as cancer cells and bacteria, that are considered foreign. • After producing so many white blood cells, the lymph nodes may become swollen and felt in areas such as the neck, underarms, and groin.

9. Main functions of the lymphatic system • Helps in the filtering of fluids, such as blood that leaves the circulatory system. • Helps to transport fats throughout the body from the digestive tract • Helps to protects the body from various diseases. • All of these three functions are also how it helps to maintain homeostasis within the body.

10. Diseases of the lymphatic system • Diseases that affect the lymphatic system include: the bubonic plague, elephantiasis, lymphadenitis, lymphangitis, and lymphoma (divided into Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s disease)

11. Interesting facts • Without the lymphatic system, the human body would lose over 3 liters of blood every day. • This would cause the body to swell with blood, essentially creating a human blood balloon.

12. Sources • http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002247.htm, http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/ap/foxhumphys/student/olc/l-reading2.html, the book, Google images, and clipart.