Lymph and Fluid Balance - MCAT Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.