Lymph is a clear fluid that surrounds your body’s cells, carrying lymphocytes (white blood cells) and other substances through your lymphatic system. Lymph is similar in composition to blood plasma but doesn’t contain red blood cells or platelets.
Lymph is essential for the removal of waste products from tissues, as well as for the proper functioning of the immune system. It also plays an important role in maintaining body temperature and blood pressure.
Lymphatic system: The lymphatic system consists of vessels (lymph vessels), nodules (lymph nodes), and organs (thymus gland). The lymph vessels carry lymph from the tissues back to the heart while lymph nodes filter out foreign particles and pathogens before they reach your bloodstream.
What causes swollen lymph nodes?
Swollen lymph nodes can be caused by many different things, including infections, allergies, cancer and stress. When you’re sick or stressed out, your body produces more white blood cells as part of its immune response. The increased number of white blood cells causes swollen lymph nodes throughout your body because they’re fighting off whatever infection or illness has taken hold in your body. Swollen lymph nodes are often tender to touch and appear
Is lymph a cancer?
Lymph is a fluid that circulates throughout the body, picking up waste and delivering it to the bloodstream. Lymph nodes are small structures in the lymphatic system that filter fluids and help fight infection.
There are two types of lymph cancers: Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Both can be treated successfully with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or surgery.
Lymphoma is cancer that arises from lymphocytes, cells in the immune system that make antibodies to fight infections. The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Both can be treated successfully with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or surgery.
In Hodgkin’s disease, abnormal cells produce more than one type of antibody protein (called monoclonal antibodies). These abnormal cells may also grow in the lymph nodes or other tissues throughout the body.
In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, abnormal white blood cells called B cells multiply uncontrollably in one or more areas of your body, such as your spleen or lymph nodes (small bean-shaped organs that filter waste products from your blood).
Where are lymph located in the body?
There are two types of lymphatic vessels:
Cells called lymphocytes and other white blood cells circulate through the body in a fluid called lymph. The fluid carries these cells from tissues to the bloodstream. This process is called “lymphatic circulation.”
Lymphatic vessels are also known as lymphatics or lymph channels. They can be compared to veins, but they’re smaller and thinner than veins and don’t have valves.
Lymphatic vessels have walls made from connective tissue that’s similar to blood vessels. They’re surrounded by smooth muscle fibers that help them squeeze closed when pressure builds up inside them.
The four stages of lymphatic circulation include:
The initial stage is when fluid enters the lymphatic system through tissue spaces such as between skin cells or around hair follicles. This fluid contains dissolved proteins, fats and excess cell waste products that need to be filtered out of your blood stream so they don’t build up in your tissues.
The second stage occurs when this fluid collects together in one place along a vessel wall, creating a small area called a “lymph node.” A group of these nodes forms a “lymph node chain” (also known as a “lymphatic chain”).
Lymph meaning in Biology
Lymph is a fluid that circulates throughout the lymphatic system. It is produced by the movement of fluid through the capillary walls, and it consists mostly of water and proteins. Lymph is composed of an interstitial fluid that has leaked from the capillaries and an intercellular fluid that has leaked from the tissue spaces between cells.
The lymphatic system helps to protect the body from infection by carrying white blood cells (WBCs) to fight off germs. It also contains lymph nodes, which act as filters for foreign particles in the bloodstream. It includes organs such as the spleen and thymus gland.
Lymph production occurs when blood passes through capillaries in tissues such as muscle or fat. As blood passes through these tissues, protein molecules leak out into interstitial spaces around cells. The proteins move through interstitial tissue along with water, which becomes part of lymphatic fluid once it leaves capillary walls.
What are the signs that you have a cancerous lymph node?
The signs of a cancerous lymph node include:
A lump near the site of the original tumor. This is the most common sign of a cancerous lymph node.
Pain or swelling in the area where the cancer started.
Feeling tired, weak or feverish. You may also have night sweats, which are episodes of heavy sweating during sleep.
If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away because they could be signs of metastasis (the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another).
If your doctor suspects that you have a cancerous lymph node, he or she will take several steps to confirm this diagnosis: