The Lymphathic System

An overview

The lymphatic system was described around 1654 as “A system which purifies the body and regulates irritation, swelling and oedema.” (Thomas Bartholin).

The system is similar to a sewage treatment plant, a tiny plumbing system made up of vessels (some as thin as a hair) and nodes that help clean waste from around the cells of the entire body. If the system slows or blocks the body begins to congest with its own cellular waste.

The fluid in these vessels is called lymph, a clear liquid that contains white blood cells (lymphocytes), proteins, hormones, vitamins, lipids and some red blood cells. Bacteria, viruses, cancer cells and other toxins are also carried in the fluid.

There are various organs and structures within the system:
The lymph nodes of which there are approximately 600, some as small as a pin head and others the size of a large pea. They play an important role in the immune system, filtering and destroying bacteria, viruses and cancer cells carried in the lymph. The swelling of these nodes is common in inflammation, we often refer to them as “swollen glands”.

The tonsils, thymus, spleen and peyers patches which play a part in attacking invaders (microbes and cancer cells).

The red bone marrow in which stem cells divide and become capable of mounting an attack. These cells (lymphocytes) migrate to the lymphatic organs and nodes.

Lymphocytes are responsible for the production of antibodies which combat viruses and infections ranging from a common cold to cancer.