Introduction
The human lymph vessel system is a system that corresponds to the blood vessels and spans the entire body. It carries the lymph fluid, which is important for immunological defense processes.
Structure of the lymph vessel system
The lymph vessel system is divided into different sections. The smallest capillaries reaching into the intercellular spaces have an almost invisible cross-section. This is where, among other things, the lymph fluid is formed and passed on.
The capillaries unite with other capillaries of the same size and form the pre-collectors, which are on average somewhat wider in lumen. These are then brought together further and form the even larger collectors. Sometimes lymphatic vessels are also located at certain points directly next to each other and above each other.
This is to ensure that lymph fluid is distributed evenly throughout the body and that pathogens can be transported from different areas of the body. At the places where the lymph vessels lie above or directly next to each other, there are so-called anastomoses. Anastomoses are short circuits that ensure that two lymphatic vessels lying close together are connected.
The lymph fluid can thus be exchanged between the upper and lower layers without any loss of time. The lymph vessel system is interrupted at certain points in the body. Filtering stations are installed here to ensure that the lymph fluid cannot move around the body unfiltered.
The filtering stations consist of the lymph nodes, of which there are almost countless in the body. At the filtration stations, however, the lymph nodes are densely packed. The most important lymph node stations are in the groin area, in the armpit area and in the neck area.
There are also numerous lymph nodes in the neck and represent another filtering station. The lymph vessel system opens into the venous blood system in the so-called venous angle. This is the sensitive area of the lymph vessel system. If pathogens have made it up to here without being stopped, there is a great danger that they will enter the blood system and cause blood poisoning.
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