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The spleen plays important roles in regard to red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the immune system. [2] It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood, which can be valuable in case of hemorrhagic shock, and also recycles iron. As a part of the mononuclear phagocyte system, it metabolizes hemoglobin removed from senescent red
It is composed of red pulp which filters the blood, removing foreign material, damaged and worn out red blood cells. It also functions as a storage site for iron, red blood cells and platelets. The rest (~25%) of the spleen is known as the white pulp and functions like a large lymph node being the largest secondary lymphoid organ in the body. [3]
The red pulp of the spleen is composed of connective tissue known also as the cords of Billroth and many splenic sinusoids that are engorged with blood, giving it a red color. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Its primary function is to filter the blood of antigens , microorganisms, and defective or worn-out red blood cells.
The spleen is split into red and white pulp regions with the marginal zone separating the two areas. The red pulp is involved with filtering blood and recycling iron, while the white pulp is involved in the immune response. [2] The red pulp contains macrophages that phagocytose old or damaged red blood cells. [1]
The red blood cells without nuclei, called reticulocytes, subsequently lose all other cellular organelles such as their mitochondria, Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum. The spleen acts as a reservoir of red blood cells, but this effect is somewhat limited in humans. In some other mammals such as dogs and horses, the spleen sequesters ...
A feedback loop involving erythropoietin helps regulate the process of erythropoiesis so that, in non-disease states, the production of red blood cells is equal to the destruction of red blood cells and the red blood cell number is sufficient to sustain adequate tissue oxygen levels but not so high as to cause sludging, thrombosis, or stroke ...
Formation of new red blood cells (RBCs) and white blood cells (WBCs). Destruction of senescent RBCs. Formation of plasma proteins. Formation of bile pigments. Storage of iron. In the liver, Kupffer cells store excess iron from catabolism of heme from the breakdown of red blood cells. In bone marrow and spleen, iron is stored in MPS cells mostly ...
Apart from clearing bacteria, Kupffer cells are also responsible for recycling hemoglobin by destroying senescent red blood cells through phagocytic action. The globin chains are re-used, while the iron-containing portion, heme , is further broken down into iron, which is re-used, and bilirubin , which is conjugated to glucuronic acid within ...