Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
An image of the spleen in the human body. Also shows the red and white pulp regions. Splenocytes are spleen cells and consist of leukocytes like B and T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. [2] 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 ...
An easy way to remember the anatomy of the spleen is the 1×3×5×7×9×10×11 rule. The spleen is 1 by 3 by 5 inches (3 by 8 by 13 cm), weighs approximately 7 oz (200 g), and lies between the ninth and eleventh ribs on the left-hand side and along the axis of the tenth rib.
The cords of Billroth (also known as splenic cords or red pulp cords) are found in the red pulp of the spleen between the sinusoids, consisting of fibrils and connective tissue cells with a large population of monocytes and macrophages.
White pulp is a histological designation for regions of the spleen (named because it appears whiter than the surrounding red pulp on cross section), that encompasses approximately 25% of splenic tissue. White pulp consists entirely of lymphoid tissue. Specifically, the white pulp encompasses several areas with distinct functions:
The fibroelastic coat of the spleen invests the organ, and at the hilum is reflected inward upon the vessels in the form of sheaths. From these sheaths, as well as from the inner surface of the fibroelastic coat, numerous small fibrous bands, the trabeculae of the spleen (or splenic trabeculae), emerge from all directions; these uniting, constitute the frame-work of the spleen.
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.
White pulp, splenic lymphoid nodules, or white nodules — follicles in the white pulp of the spleen, containing many lymphocytes These structures are named after Marcello Malpighi (1628–1694), an Italian physician and biologist regarded as the father of microscopical anatomy and histology .
The spleen is the largest lymphoid organ in the body but has other functions. [23] It breaks down both red and white blood cells that are spent. This is why it is sometimes known as the 'graveyard of red blood cells'. [23] A product of this digestion is the pigment bilirubin, which is sent to the liver and secreted in the bile.