The spleen is without doubt one of the organs of the lymphatic system that defends the physique and performs a task in blood circulation.
It’s roughly 13 cm lengthy and weighs as much as 200 g. It’s darkish pink in shade and has a smooth, spongy consistency.
The organ is situated within the higher left a part of the stomach, behind the abdomen and under the diaphragm.
Location of the spleen
Capabilities of the spleen
The primary features of the spleen are:
- Filter microorganisms and overseas particles from theblood, equivalent to viruses and micro organism. It acts as a “sponge” in filtering the blood.
- Producelymphocytesand plasma cells that synthesize antibodies .
- Retailer blood in case of heavy bleeding. The organ can retailer as much as 250 ml of blood.
- Take away broken or aged red blood cells .
Spleen anatomy
The spleen is roofed by a fibrous capsule and fashioned by the splenic pulp, the place the white pulp and the pink pulp are discovered.
- White pulp:Shaped by lymphoid tissues, it produces white blood cells (T and B lymphocytes) that take part within the physique’s immune system.
- Purple pulp:Shaped by blood tissue that filters the blood and removes overseas particles and microorganisms.
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What causes spleen ache?
In some infectious circumstances, the spleen can swell and trigger ache. One instance is mononucleosis, when in an try and expel viruses from the physique, the spleen will increase the manufacturing of lymphocytes, changing into bigger and inflicting swelling.
Different illnesses may have an effect on the spleen and compromise its functioning and integrity. Examples:
- Blood illnesses
- Cirrhosis
- Problems within the lymphatic organs
- Lymphoma
- Most cancers
- Anemia
- Hepatitis
- Leukemia
Attention-grabbing information concerning the spleen
The spleen just isn’t a significant organ for the physique. In circumstances of illness, it may be eliminated via a surgical procedure referred to as splenectomy.
When this occurs, different organs start to carry out a few of the spleen’s features. Nevertheless, the perform of eliminating microorganisms and impurities from the blood may be critically compromised.
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