Talk:Draft 2016

Spleen

Spleen Function

1. Immune - filters blood in much the way that the lymph nodes filter lymph.
   1. Lymphocytes in the spleen react to pathogens in the blood and attempt to destroy them.
   2. Macrophages then engulf the resulting debris, the damaged cells, and the other large particles.
2. Red Blood Cell Removal - spleen (and liver) removes old and damaged erythrocytes from the circulating blood.
3. Blood Reservoir - The sinuses in the spleen also act as a reservoir for blood.

• • In emergencies, such as hemorrhage, smooth muscle in the vessel walls and in the capsule of the spleen contracts.
  • This squeezes the blood out of the spleen into the general circulation.

Structure

• Capsule, trabeculae (dense connective tissue)
• Splenic pulp white pulp, red pulp - based on appearance and cell content.

White pulp -periarterial lymphoid sheath (PALS)

White Pulp lymphocytes surround central arteries as periarterial lymphoid sheath (PALS)

Red Pulp Red blood cells Splenic cords and sinuses

Reticular Fibers (type III collagen) act as supporting meshwork.

• 

  Overview Red and White Pulp

• 

  Overview Red and White Pulp

• 

  Cords and Sinuses

• 

  Reticular Fibre overview

• 

  Reticular Fibre detail

• 

  unlabeled red and white pulp

• 

  unlabeled red pulp and macrophages

• 

  unlabeled white pulp germinal centre

• 

  unlabeled reticular fibre

• 

  unlabeled white pulp reticular

• 

  unlabeled red pulp reticular