Question

Someone please explain briefly about the lymphatic system.

Answer 1

1. it is a blind end system: while arteries through cappilaries turn to veins. the lymphatic system is one way - to the heart. its beginning are "open" vessels to the interstitial space.
2. it function to regulate the pressure and amount of extracellular fluid. remember that the difference between oncotic pressure and the hydrostatic pressure generates a net out flow from early cappilaries and a net inflow in distal cappilaries. the fine tuning of this process is drainage of the extracellular, interstitial space through the lymphatics.
3. immune surveillance. any danger signal, any infection or inflammation increases the capillary permeability - leading to tissue swelling. this leads to an enhanced flow through lymphatics, and in the lypmh nodes u get plenty of leukocytes "sampling" for pathogens.