Immune Response
Your lymphatic system generates
cells called lymphocytes, which are
also found in your blood, as well as
macrophages. These are what make up
your immune system. B lymphocytes
learn information from the surface
of invading bacteria that they use
to recognise other similar bacteria
and Macrophages engulf and ingest
invading bacteria.
When a pathogen is recognised,
B lymphocytes are activated and
begin dividing themselves into memory
cells and plasmatic cells. Memory cells hold on to
the antigen information and when there is a new
invasion they begin dividing rapidly in order to
deal with it. The plasmatic cells secrete thousands
of special antibody molecules per second, which
the blood then carries to wherever the infection is.
The antibodies are also known as immunoglobin
and they are special protein molecules that are
the shape of a Y. Each Y's arms are unique to a
particular type of antibody, and each specific
antibody attaches with these arms to a specific
antigen. These antibodies are there to mark out
invaders so that macrophages can destroy them.
Lymphatic Network
As your blood passes through the tissues in your
body, it enters capillaries to transfer nutrients,
gases and waste. Blood plasma also diffuses
through the capillary walls and enters the spaces
between cells in the tissue. Although some of
this plasma diffuses back into the blood, some
of the fluid becomes embedded. To prevent the
build up of these excess fluids, small vessels
called lymphatic capillaries also extend into these
tissues to absorb these fluids and return them
back to circulation around the body. This liquid
left in the tissues is called lymph. Lymph is very
similar to plasma – it is mostly water and contains
proteins, cellular waste and hormones. It also
contains bacterial cells that are picked up from
diseased tissues in the body, as well as the white
blood cells that are fighting these pathoge