Objective 34: Lymph Nodes

Our lymphatic system has three different parts:
1.Lymph- a protien like fluid found throughout our bodies
2.Lymph Vessels-get the lymph where it needs to go
3.Lymph Nodes- little "stations" that clean the lymph as it circulates through the lymph vessels
The lymph nodes help to form the lymphatic tissues and organs. The lymphatic organs include:
1.Spleen-stores leftovers from redblood cells to be reused, stores platlets of blood, and just might be the fetus production house of red blood cells

2.Thymus-is the "babysitter' for T cells until they become mature enough to go fight off diseases. The thymus is the bowtie of the mascarade face from the respiratory section. It lies on the trachea and looks like a bowtie.

3.Tonsils-'security' for the pharynx, they capture pathogens trying to sneak into out bodies through our food and the air we breathe.

4.Peyer's Patches and Appendix- kill bacteria before it can get to our intestinal wall, they also have a unforgetting policy where they remember these bad guys and create new "memory' lymphocytes for the future so we will be ready for the enemy when it strikes again

The lymphatic system is home to the lymphocytes, T cells and B cells. These cells are very important in defending our bodies against diseases and infections.

The lymphatic system helps set the foundation for the immune system.

Our immune systems major job is: to remember all of our "forgein invaders"and to recognize "self to non-self". Recognition of self to non-self is important because in some cases our bodys will startt to attack itself because it believes that it's not part of itself, this causes a number of  different diseases.
It has two parts a more "superficial" defense and a chemical defense. The skin and mucosae make up the "superficial" defense. Once there is a breach in our "superficial" defense the chemicals start to fight the battle against pathogens. The pagocytes are called in to come eat up the bad guys along with the natural killer cells.