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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Lymphatic System
Which of the following systems is NOT directly aided by the lymphatic system?
Digestive system
Cardiovascular system
Endocrine system
Immune system
Endocrine system
The lymphatic system has a variety of functions in the body. It collects excess interstitial fluid and returns it to the blood (cardiovascular system), it has lymph nodes that screen the lymphatic fluid for pathogens (immune system), and it reroutes fat digestates to the neck veins (digestive system). The lymphatic system does not aid the endocrine system, as hormones travel in the bloodstream.
Example Question #1 : Lymph And Fluid Balance
Lymph in the thoracic duct __________.
I. contains fluid and cells collected from the left hand
II. contains chylomicrons collected from the intestine
III. contains fluid and cells collected from the left leg
IV. contains fluid and cells from the head and neck
V. all of these are true
III
IV
I
V
II
V
You either know the anatomy of lymphatic flow, or you don't and you need to review it. All statements are true. The thoracic duct is the major collecting point for lymph from both lower limbs, the intestine, and certainly the left arm and left side of the head and neck. It empties into the junction of the left subclavian vein and the left jugular vein, most commonly. The question did not ask you to argue about whether or not lymph from the right arm and right side of the head and neck rejoined the venous circulation through the thoracic duct or a smaller accessory thoracic duct on the right side, because this is somewhat variable.
Example Question #2 : Lymphatic System
The lymph collected from the majority of the body drains into the vena cava via what vessel?
Right lymphatic duct
Mammary duct
Thoracic duct
Hepatic duct
Thoracic duct
It is important to know that the lymphatic system is an open system, meaning that it drains the interstitial fluid from the body and delivers it to the circulatory system in two different ways. The majority of the lymph drains from the body through the thoracic duct into the vena cava. The thoracic duct is also what drains fats collected in the liver and turned into chylomicrons.
Lymph from the head and right arm drains via the right lymphatic duct back to the vena cava, but this does not constitute the majority of lymph flow.
Example Question #1 : Lymphatic System
The lymph from the head, neck, and right arm drains into the vena cava via what duct?
Mammary duct
Thoracic duct
Right lymphatic duct
Hepatic duct
Right lymphatic duct
It is important to know that lymph from the head, neck, and right arm drains via the right lymphatic duct into the vena cava, to be added to the venous circulation. The other important lymphatic duct is the thoracic duct, which drains lymph from the remainder of the body.
Example Question #3 : Lymphatic System
During the course of a day, approximately three liters of plasma are filtered out of the capillaries, but are not reabsorbed into the vessels. This means that the volume of fluid stays in the interstitial space around the capillaries.
What does the body do with this large volume of fluid?
It stays in the interstitial space until the blood volume is decreased
It is transported to the kidney to exit the body as urine
It exits the body as sweat
It is absorbed into the lymphatic system
It is absorbed into the lymphatic system
Lymphatic fluid is formed by absorbing the excess plasma that has been filtered from the capillaries. This occurs because more plasma is filtered out of the capillaries than can be reabsorbed back into the capillaries. This leads to a net filtration of plasma into the interstitium. The role of the lymphatic system is to absorb this filtered plasma and return it to circulation via a duct into the right atrium. A failure to collect the extracellular fluids can lead to swelling of the extremities, known as edema.
When the lymphatic vessels collect fluid they also carry it through the lymph nodes, which house large populations of lymphocytes. These lymphocytes screen the blood for foreign antigens and can launch an immune response if pathogens are found.
Example Question #3 : Lymphatic System
What would you NOT expect to find in lymph fluid?
Triglycerides
White blood cells
Water
Red blood cells
Proteins
Red blood cells
Lymph is a fluid that travels through its own kind of circulatory system. The lymphatic system as a whole helps maintain distribution of fluids and maintain blood composition. Plasma from blood leaks out of capillaries and gets collected and redistributed by the lymph system. It also transports other molecules, like proteins, triglycerides, and white blood cells. You would not expect to find a red blood cells in this fluid, as they do not leak out of veins and capillaries.
Example Question #4 : Lymphatic System
Which of the following is not a component of the lymphatic fluid?
Chylomicrons
Red blood cells
Albumin
Water
Red blood cells
The lymph is collected in the periphery from the fluid that is not reabsorbed by oncotic pressure in the capillary beds. Proteins (including the main blood component albumin), chylomicrons (collected from enterocytes in the liver), and water are all parts of lymph. These components can exit the capillary walls in areas of significant hydrostatic pressure, and enter the lymph to avoid being trapped in the interstitium.
Red blood cells are too large to pass through capillary walls, and thus would not be released into the interstitium or absorbed into the lymphatic system.
Example Question #2 : Immune And Lymphatic Systems
Which of the following is NOT a part of the lymphatic system?
Bone marrow
Liver
Adenoids and tonsils
Thymus and spleen
Liver
All of the following are parts of the lymphatic system, except the liver. The liver is considered to be primarily a part of the digestive system.
Example Question #3 : Immune And Lymphatic Systems
Which of the following are you most likely to find in the medulla of a lymph node?
T-cells
Dendritic cells
Stromal cells
B-cells
T-cells
In the lymph node, the B-cells are located in the cortex and the T-cells are located in the medulla. The stromal cells are structural cells that are not particular to an area of the lymph node. Dendritic cells will move through the lymph node to present antigens to the adaptive immune system cells.
Example Question #1 : Lymphoid Organs
Which of the following is a primary lymphoid structure?
I. Thymus
II. Spleen
III. Lymph node
II and III
I only
III only
I, II, and III
I only
Primary lymphoid tissues refer to the tissues where lymphoid cells are generated, while secondary lymphoid tissues are the functional organs of the lymphatic system.
Lymphocytes are generated and developed in the bone marrow and thymus only. The spleen and lymph nodes are examples of secondary lymphatic organs.
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