Question

1. Outline the lymphatic vasculature beginning with the capillaries and ending at the ducts. Describe each type of vessels.

Answer 1

The lymphatic vessels are thin-walled vessels (tubes) structured like blood vessels, that carry lymph and than return them to blood vessels. The lymphatic vessels begin as open-ended capillaries, which feed into larger and larger lymphatic vessels, and than finaly empties into blood vessels through series of ducts.

Lymphatic capillaries, also known as terminal lymphatics,are vessels where interstitial fluid enters the lymphatic system to become lymph fluid.They are Located in almost every tissue in the body, these vessels are interlaced among the arterioles and venules of the circulatory system in the soft connective tissues of the body, but these vessels are not found in the central nervous system, bone marrow, bones, teeth, etc.The lymphatic capillaries bring lymph further into the lymphatic vessels. The capillaries have external valves but no internal valves or smooth muscle, so the pressure of lymph accumulation itself must propel the fluid forward into the larger vessels. In the small intestine, lymphatic capillaries called lacteals are responsible for carrying triglycerides, protein and lipids, these combine to form chyle,the chyle then travels through the lymphatic system, eventually entering the liver and then the bloodstream.

Lymphatic vessels ,trunks and ducts.The lymphatic capillaries empty into larger lymphatic vessels, These have one-way valves simlar to veins and are located fairly close to one another, and each one causes a bulge in the lymphatic vessel, giving the vessels a beaded appearance

Many efferent lympharic vessels joint to form lymphatic trunk, There are four sets of of lymph trunks that are paired with a right and left half, but one of the trunk is not paired, the paired trunks are,Jugular lymph trunks, located in the neck,Subclavian lymph trunks, located beneath the clavicle, Bronchomediastinal lymph trunks, located in the chest, Lumbar lymph trunks are the lower pair of lymph trunks, the unopaired trunk is the intestinal lymph trunk.

Lymphatic trunks then drain lymph fluid into the lymph ducts, which are the final part of the lymphatic system.The thoracic lymph duct, the largest lymph vessel in the body, takes lymph from the lower and left halves of the body.

The right lymphatic duct receives lymph from the right and upper halves of the body, including the right sides of the jugular, bronchomediastinal, and subclavian lymph trunks.

The thoracic duct drains into to the left subclavian vein while the right duct drains into the right subclavian vein,the two subclavian veins then merge into the vena cava, which brings deoxygenated blood to the heart.