Question

pick one of the following locations:

The right pinky finger

The mesentery

The left breast

The posterior left knee

Describe the formation of lymph within that region, relating that to blood vessels within the region and addressing the physical forces that lead to lymph production. How would the lymph that is formed in that region be returned to the blood supply? What vessels and lymph organs would it travel through? Also, imagine that there is a potential pathogen within your identified region - what involvement of other lymph organs or individual immune cells would you expect?

Answer 1

THE LEFT BREAST - I chose this option because lymphatics of breast play a very crucial role in cancer of breast. As mastectomy can totally stop cancer from spreading to different areas and advancement of pathology.

Lymphatic system plays an important role in regulating fluid balance and removal of harmful waste substances by filtering them out .

Lymph forms during the fluid and molecular exchange between blood circulation and and body tissues , when the blood capillaries do not absorb all of the fluid back then the excess fluid is microscopically exudated as lymph which is filtered at lymph nodes due to pressure gradient.

It travels from breast lobules to intramammary lymph nodes and channels to subareolar plexus and finally terminates into left subclavian vein and thoracic duct.

As the pathogen would enter the intramammary lymph nodes would trap it and inflammatory response would initiate as a result swelling and pain would be there. The immune system would combat with pathogen and finally would be removed from the body.