LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
and tend to leave after 3 weeks
∙ Involves production, maintenance and distribution of
lymphocytes that provide defense against infections
(pathogens), abnormal body cells and foreign proteins
- These protective cells are found throughout the
bloodstream, in lymphatic organs, and they can also
migrate into tissues
∙ This system is also known as the “lymphoid system or
immune system
LYMPH NETWORK
1. LYMPH
∙ Fluid of the system circulating in the body
∙ Important, without the lymph the body get sick more
often
2. LYMPHATIC VESSELS
∙ Major lymphatic vessels (deep)
Small lymphatic vessels
Lymphatic capillaries
∙ Larger lymphatic vessels contain valves (for
maintaining normal lymph flow)
∙ Lymphatic capillaries are present in almost every
tissue in the body (assists the bloodstream in
screening harmful things)
∙ Differ from blood capillaries because:
- Originate as pocket, not as continuous tubes
- Have larger diameters, thinner walls
- Endothelial cells overlap
3. LYMPH NODES
∙ Circular pockets
∙ Small lymphoid organs that are 1mm-25mm
∙ Most concentrated in the neck, armpits, groin
∙ Functions like a kitchen water filter
- Purifies lymph before it enters veins
- Macrophages (WBC) in the lymphatic sinuses
engulf foreign bodies like antigens, which are
presented to lymphocytes (enabling the WBC to
know what the bacteria is on it in terms of
protein structure and being able identify it
quickly getting it out of the body)
4. THYMUS
∙ Located in the mediastinum, posterior to the
sternum, near the heart
∙ Contains lobules (2mm), with 2 distinct layers the
cortex (outer) and medulla(inner)
- Lymphocytes in the cortex are dividing
- As T-cells mature, they migrate into the medulla
∙ Hormones form this gland promote the maturation of
lymphocytes
5. SPLEEN
∙ Important but not a vital organ
∙ Contains the largest amount of lymphoid tissue in the
body
∙ Red, 12 cm long, 160 g (5.6 oz), lies lateral to the
stomach on the left, between ribs 9-11 (protected by
the bottom of the thoracic cage)
∙ Without the spleen a person can survive but
susceptible to certain illnesses
∙ Has areas called pulp
- Red = RBCs
- White = lymphoid
∙ Like a highly patrolled security checkpoint area
6. NONSPECIFIC DEFENSES
∙ The response is the same regardless of what’s
invading (nonspecific resistance)
- Physical barriers
- Phagocytic cells (the body has WBCs patrolling
the body whose job is to swallow stuffs that
doesn’t belong there. Ex. monocytes)
- Immunological surveillance (equals of what
natural killer cells are doing – WBC that kills
young body cells that are abnormal)
- Interferons (chemicals that make it harder to for
a virus to keep spreading)
- Inflammation (immune system’s response)
Fever (it is harder for bacteria to spread in hotter
environment)
7. SPECIFIC DEFENSES
∙ Also known as “immunity”
- Coordinated activities of B cells and T cells
2 KINDS OF IMMUNITY
∙ Innate immunity (a person is born with the ability to
react to different things that your body is exposed to,
cannot be changed bec. It is based on genetics)
∙ Acquired immunity (picked up just by living, by being
exposed to pathogens or foreign bodies)
- Active
 Naturally acquired (Ex. A newborn baby
and they get expose to something and
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got infected that will allow the WBCs to
recognize it and prevent it from
spreading )
  Induced active immunity (vaccination/
immunization)
- Passive
 Naturally acquired (a baby getting
antibodies for mother through placental
connection & breastmilk)
 Induced passive immunity (inject
antibodies rather than injecting the
surface of the virus ex. rabies)
8. T CELLS
∙ Responsible for cell-mediated immunity (not based
on antibodies instead it triggers cells to know how to
conquer and defeat infections)
- Cytotoxic T cells (migrates to places where
viruses and bacteria are and they will destroy and
eat them. They are cytotoxic bec they have
certain packages (lysosomes) that contains
enzymes that are designed to destroy and eat
bacteria)
- Helper T cells (without their signaling other T
cells and B cells with not be successful. Main kind
of cell that HIV or AIDS is going to invade and
destroy)
- Suppressor T cells (opposite of Helper T cells,
they are responsible in stimulating them to hold
back and create not so many cell division. If an
inflammation is been defeated, suppressor T
cells gonna turn off the reaction)
∙ To be activated, T cells must be exposed to an antigen
(abnormal plasma membrane protein)
∙ Major histocompatibility complex proteins (MHC) are
what allow your body to identify friendly cells (normal
body cells) vs abnormal cells (virus, bacteria &
parasitic cells)
- MHC proteins present foreign antigens
- sexual exchange or blood contact. HIV is
9. B CELLS
∙ Responsible for anti-body-mediated
immunity
- The body has millions of these populations
- Each kind of B cell has its own antibody
molecules
- Activated when they receive the “OK” from the
helper T cells
∙ Memory B cells
- Similar to memory T cells, these retain a memory
on how to make antibodies
- When stimulated, will divide/differentiated and
secret massive amounts of antibodies
ANTIBODY STRUCTURE
∙ Protein secreted by the B cells for the purpose of
attaching to antigens on abnormal cells
- 5 types of constant segments ( with heavy chains)
- Ig G, IgE, IgD, IgM, IgA
- Primary (when you are introduced to a
vaccination your initial response) vs Secondary
response
IMMUNE CONDITIONS/DISORDERS
∙ Allergy – reaction of the body to some kind
of stimulation that is going to irritate the
immune system
∙ Anaphylactic shock – when a person has a
severe allergic reaction
∙ Autoimmune disease – WBCs are attacking
healthy tissues. Don’t have a cure but there
are treatments to delay the long term effect
∙ HIV/AIDS – HIV is the actual virus that is
either transferred through the body by
good at invading helper T cells and over time
as the virus makes more viruses and invade
more T cells, eventually WBCs goes slow
enough to the point that the person gets
AIDS. HIV is a RNA virus (retrovirus)
∙ Cancer – cell division that is out of control,
can happen in any tissue of the body due to
exposure to carcinogen or radiation that
causes damage to the DNA that is regulating
the cell cycle and if the cell cycle happens
out of control the cell tissue can be a
malignant tumor that is going to spread
potentially through the lymphatic tissue
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(chemotherapy, radiation projected to the
cancer tissue)
∙
∙ ∙ Lymphomas – disease that has to do with
∙ abnormalities of the lymphocytes being to
∙ deal with infections Ex. Hodgkin’s disease
∙ ∙ Lymphedema – edema of the lymph, the
∙ valves become dysfunctional the pulling of
∙ lymph can cause severe swelling of the
∙ tissue
∙ ∙ Graft rejection – when your immune system
∙ is going to attack the newly introduced
∙ tissue
∙ ∙ Tonsillitis – infection of the tonsils, they are
∙ like miniature lymphoid organ in the throat
∙ region. The swelling is the body’s response
∙ to the pathogen.
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