Lymphatic System
(Gross Anatomy)
MED 111a
Dr. Myo Nandar Htwe
Senior Lecturer (FOM)
• The lymphatic system consists of lymphatic vessels and lymphatic
tissues.
• The lymphatic vessels assist the capillaries and venules of the
cardiovascular system in the removal of tissue fluid from the tissues
and return it to the blood.
• Lymphatic tissue is a type of connective tissue that contains large
numbers of lymphocytes and is essential for the immunologic
defenses of the body against bacteria and viruses.
Lymphatic vessels
• The lymphatic capillaries begin as blind-ended tubes.
• They differ from blood capillaries in that they can absorb proteins and
large particulate matter from the tissue spaces, whereas the fluid
absorbed by the blood capillaries is an aqueous solution of inorganic
salts and sugar.
• Lymph is the name given to tissue fluid once it has entered a
lymphatic vessel.
• Usually, lymph is clear, watery and slightly yellow and is similar in
composition to blood plasma.
• Lymph from the peripheral capillary plexuses passes into larger
collecting vessels called lymphatic vessels or lymphatics.
• Lymphatics are thin-walled vessels with abundant lymphatic valves.
• In living individuals, the vessels bulge where each of the closely
spaced valves occur, giving lymphatics a beaded appearance.
• The direction of the flow of lymph is determined by the valves of the
lymphatic vessels.
• Lymphatic capillaries and lymphatic vessels occur almost everywhere
blood capillaries are found, except, for example, teeth, bone, bone
marrow, cartilage, eyeball, internal ear, epidermis and the entire
central nervous system (excess tissue fluid here drains into the
cerebrospinal fluid).
• In the limbs, the superficial lymphatic vessels of the skin and
subcutaneous tissue tend to follow the superficial veins; and the
deeper lymphatic vessels follow the deep arteries and veins.
• Small, ovoid masses of lymphatic tissue called lymph nodes are
located along the course of lymphatic vessels, through which lymph is
filtered on its way to the nervous system.
• The lymph from the greater part of the body reaches the blood via
the thoracic duct.
• The lymph from the right side of the head and neck, the right upper
limb, and the right side of the thorax, however, reaches the blood via
the right lymphatic duct.
Thoracic duct
• Begins in the abdomen from a dilated sac, the cysterna chyli.
• It enters the thorax through the aortic opening of the diaphragm.
• It ascends along the thorax and reach root of the neck and enters the
beginning of the left brachiocephalic vein.
• At the termination, thoracic duct receives the left jugular, subclavian
and mediastinal lymph trunk.
• The thoracic duct, thus conveys to the blood all the lymph from the
lower limbs, pelvic cavity, abdominal cavity, left side of the thorax, left
side of the head and neck, and left upper limb.
Right lymphatic duct
• The right jugular, subclavian, and bronchomediastinal trunks may join
to form right lymphatic duct.
• This common duct, if present, is short, about ½ inch (1.3 cm) long,
and opens into the beginning of right brachiocephalic vein.
Lymphatic tissue
• Lymphatic tissue has a basic network of reticular fibres and reticular
cells.
• Lying within the spaces of the reticular network are large numbers of
lymphocytes.
• Lymphatic tissue is found in the following forms: the lymph nodes,
the thymus, the spleen and the myeloid tissue in the red bone
marrow which are the sites that produce lymphocytes.
Applied anatomy
• Spread of cancer cells through lymphatics to other parts of the body.
• Lymphangitis (inflammation of lymphatics)
• Lymphadenitis (inflammation of lymph node)
• Lymphedema
Lymphangitis
