The Lymphatic System 1

- - The lymphatic system is part of the circulatory system, comprising a network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph (from Latin lympha “water goddess“) directionally towards the heart. The lymphatic system was first described in the seventeenth century independently by Olaus Rudbeck and Thomas Bartholin. The lymph system is not a closed system. The circulatory system processes an average of 20 litres of blood per day through capillary filtration which removes plasma while leaving the blood cells. Roughly 17 litres of the filtered plasma actually get reabsorbed directly into the blood vessels, while the remaining 3 litres are left behind in the interstitial fluid. The primary function of the lymph system is to provide an accessory route for these excess 3 litres per day to get returned to the blood. Lymph is essentially recycled blood plasma but is protein poor. Lymphatic organs play an important part in the immune system, having a