Lymph: Journey Slow But Safe

General diagram of the relationship between blood circulation and lymph flow

Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system is less centralized and does not have a pumping organ. Its main task is to collect plasma that has passed from the capillaries to the tissues and return it to the blood through the subclavian veins. Due to their close connection with blood capillaries, lymphatic capillaries perform drainage work, preventing tissues from flooding.

Lymph direction

If there is no pumping organ, what ensures lymph circulation? The lymph moves due to the massaging effect of the muscles and the absorbent action of the breath, which compress the vessels and push the lymph in the only possible direction.

Diagram of the relationship between blood and lymphatic capillaries

It moves very slowly, but thanks to this it directly nourishes tissues deprived of blood supply, such as the cornea and cartilage. Lymph is collected by two main ducts - the thoracic duct and the right lymphatic duct, which drain into the left and right subclavian veins, respectively. In the intestinal villi, lymphatic vessels absorb fats from the milky juice, the liquid obtained as a result of the transformation of food during digestion, and carry them to the Puckett cistern, where the thoracic duct originates.

Every hour, about 100 ml of lymph flows through the thoracic duct and another 20 ml through other channels. Therefore, under normal conditions, about 2400 ml are formed in 24 hours, that is, a volume almost equal to the total volume of blood plasma.