LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

NJERU, A. M.
MSN (Med/surg)
• Lymphatic system is a closed system of lymph channels or
lymph vessels, through which lymph flows.
• It is a one-way system and allows the lymph flow from tissue
spaces toward the blood
• Lymphatic system arises from tissue spaces as a meshwork of
delicate vessels.
• These vessels are called lymph capillaries and start from
tissue spaces as enlarged blind-ended terminals called
capillary bulbs

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• There are some muscle fibers around these bulbs which
cause contraction of bulbs, thus pushing lymph through the
vessels
• Capillaries unite to form large lymphatic vessels which
become larger as they join many tributaries along their
course
• Lymph capillaries are more porous and the cells lie
overlapping on one another.
• This allows the fluid to move into the lymph capillaries and
not in the opposite direction
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• Lymph vessels are situated in the following regions:
i. Deeper layers of skin
ii. Subcutaneous tissues
iii. Diaphragm
iv. Wall of abdominal cavity
v. Omentum
vi. Linings of respiratory tract except alveoli
vii. Linings of digestive tract
viii.Linings of urinary tract
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ix. Linings of genital tract
x. Liver
xi. Heart
• Lymph nodes are small glandular structures located in the
course of lymph vessels.
• The lymph nodes are also called lymph glands or lymphatic
nodes

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Functions of the Lymph Nodes
1. Serves as filters - when lymph passes through the lymph
nodes, it is filtered, removing water and electrolytes.
• The proteins and lipids are retained in the lymph.
2. Serves as defense barriers - bacteria and other toxic
substances are destroyed by macrophages of lymph nodes.

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Lymph
• Lymph is tissue fluid that enters the lymphatic vessels and is
formed from interstitial fluid, due to the permeability of
lymph capillaries
• When blood passes via blood capillaries in the tissues,
9/10th of fluid passes into venous end of capillaries from the
arterial end while the remaining 1/10th of the fluid passes
into lymph capillaries
• Lymph is a clear and colorless fluid that comprises of 96%
water and 4% solids

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• The composition of lymph is more or less similar to that of
interstitial fluid including protein content.
• It drains into the venous blood via the thoracic and right
lymphatic ducts.
• It also contains clotting factors and clots on standing in vitro
• Tissue fluid in liver and gastrointestinal tract contains more
protein and lipids, thus these substances enter the lymph
vessels of liver and gastrointestinal tract in large quantities.
• Therefore, lymph in larger vessels has more proteins and
lipids.
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• When the lymph passes through the lymph nodes, it is
concentrated because of absorption of water and the
electrolytes.
• However, the proteins and lipids are not absorbed.
• About 120 mL of lymph flows into blood per hour; out of
which about 100 mL flows through thoracic duct and 20 mL
through the right lymphatic duct

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Factors that Increase the Flow of Lymph

Flow of lymph is promoted by the increase in:

1. Interstitial fluid pressure.
2. Blood capillary pressure.
3. Surface area of lymph capillary by means of dilatation.
4. Permeability of lymph capillaries.
5. Functional activities of tissues.

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Functions of Lymph
i. Returns the proteins from tissue spaces into blood.
ii. Redistribution of fluid in the body.
iii. Removal of bacteria, toxins and other foreign bodies from
tissues
iv. Maintenance of structural and functional integrity of
tissue.
v. It offers a route for intestinal fat absorption.
vi. It plays a role in immunity by transport of lymphocytes.

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Interstitial Fluid
• It is the medium in which cells are bathed and constitutes
about 20% of extracellular fluid (ECF).
• Interstitial fluid acts as a medium for exchange of various
substances between the cells and blood in the capillary loop.
• Oxygen and nutritive substances diffuse from the arterial end
of capillary through the tissue fluid and reach the cells.
• Carbon dioxide and waste materials diffuse from the cells
into the venous end of capillary through this fluid

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Formation of Interstitial Fluid

• It involves two processes:

1. Filtration
• Hydrostatic pressure (arterial end blood pressure ~ 30mm
Hg) is the driving force for filtration of water and other
substances from blood into tissue spaces.
• The pressure falls gradually along the capillary till about 15
mm Hg at the venous end.
• The capillary is membrane impermeable to the large
molecules, (e.g. plasma proteins) thus they remain in the
blood exerting oncotic or colloidal osmotic pressure (about
25 mm Hg).
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• The osmotic pressure is constant throughout the circulatory
system and it is an opposing force for the filtration of water
and other materials from capillary blood into the tissue
space.
• At the arterial end of the capillary, the hydrostatic pressure
(30 mm Hg) is greater than the osmotic pressure thus the net
filtration pressure of 5 mm Hg
• This is responsible for continuous filtration

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2. Reabsorption
• Fluid filtered at the arterial end of capillaries is reabsorbed
back into the blood at the venous end of capillaries.
• At the venous end of capillaries, the hydrostatic pressure is
less (15 mm Hg) and the oncotic pressure is more (25 mm
Hg).
• Due to the pressure gradient of 10 mm Hg, the fluid is
reabsorbed along with waste materials from the tissue fluid
into the capillaries.
• About 10% of filtered fluid enters the lymphatic vessels.

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• Thus, filtration at the arterial end of the capillaries helps in
the formation of tissue fluids and reabsorption at the venous
end helps to maintain the volume of tissue fluid

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Oedema
• Oedema is defined as the swelling caused by excessive
accumulation of fluid in the tissues.
• It may be generalized or localized.
• Edema is classified into two types, depending upon the body
fluid compartment where accumulation of excess fluid
occurs:
1. Intracellular edema
2. Extracellular edema

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1. Intracellular Edema
• Intracellular edema is the accumulation of fluid inside the
cell.
• It occurs because of three reasons:
i. Malnutrition
• Due to the lack of nutrition, the ionic pumps of the cell
membrane are depressed leading to poor exchange of ions.
• When the sodium ions leaking into the cells cannot be
pumped out, it causes endosmosis, resulting in intracellular
edema
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ii. Poor metabolism
• Poor metabolism due to lack of oxygen is as a result of poor
blood supply.
• This results in poor function of cell membrane leading to
poor exchange of ions and edema
iii. Inflammation of the tissues
• Inflammation of the tissues causes increased permeability of
cell membrane.
• This causes the movement of many ions, including sodium
into the cells resulting in endosmosis and intracellular edema
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2. Extracellular Edema
• Extracellular edema is defined as the accumulation offluid
outside the cell.
• It is caused by;
i. Abnormal leakage of fluid from capillaries into interstitial
space.
ii. Obstruction of lymphatic vessels that prevents fluid return
from interstitium to blood.

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• Conditions which lead to extracellular edema
Heart failure
Renal disease
Decreased amount of plasma proteins
Lymphatic obstruction
Increased endothelial permeability

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 THE END

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