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Lymph (from Latin lympha ' water ') [1] is the fluid that flows through the lymphatic system, a system composed of lymph vessels (channels) and intervening lymph nodes whose function, like the venous system, is to return fluid from the tissues to be recirculated.
The lymphatic system, because of its closeness to many tissues of the body, is responsible for carrying cancerous cells between the various parts of the body in a process called metastasis. The intervening lymph nodes can trap the cancer cells. If they are not successful in destroying the cancer cells the nodes may become sites of secondary ...
Upon entering the lumen of a lymphatic capillary, the collected fluid is known as lymph. Each lymphatic capillary carries lymph into a lymphatic vessel, which in turn connects to a lymph node, a small bean-shaped gland that filters and monitors the lymphatic fluid for infections. [1] Lymph is ultimately returned to the venous circulation.
Chyle (from Greek χυλός (chylos) 'juice' [1]) is a milky bodily fluid consisting of lymph and emulsified fats, or free fatty acids (FFAs). It is formed in the small intestine during digestion of fatty foods, and taken up by lymph vessels specifically known as lacteals. The lipids in the chyle are colloidally suspended in chylomicrons.
Lymph capillaries have many interconnections (anastomoses) between them and form a very fine network. [6] Rhythmic contraction of the vessel walls through movements may also help draw fluid into the smallest lymphatic vessels, capillaries. If tissue fluid builds up the tissue will swell; this is called edema.
Once the extracellular fluid collects into small vessels (lymph capillaries) it is considered to be lymph, and the vessels that carry it back to the blood are called the lymphatic vessels. The lymphatic system returns protein and excess interstitial fluid to the circulation.
In anatomy, the interstitium is a contiguous fluid-filled space existing between a structural barrier, such as a cell membrane or the skin, and internal structures, such as organs, including muscles and the circulatory system. [1] [2] The fluid in this space is called interstitial fluid, comprises water and solutes, and drains into the lymph ...
The interstitial compartment (also called "tissue space") surrounds tissue cells. It is filled with interstitial fluid, including lymph. [5] Interstitial fluid provides the immediate microenvironment that allows for movement of ions, proteins and nutrients across the cell barrier.