00:01 The next lymphoid organ that we're going to discuss is the spleen. 00:05 The spleen is a very blood-rich organ, about the size of a fist that's located on the left side of the abdominal cavity, just below the stomach. 00:17 Of the lymphoid organs, the spleen is going to be the largest. 00:22 It is served by the splenic arteries and vein, which enter and exit at the hilum of the spleen. 00:32 The spleen functions as a site of lymphocyte proliferation, as well as an immune surveillance, and response point. 00:42 It's also going to function to clean our blood of aged blood cells as well as platelets. 00:50 And it also uses macrophages to remove this debris from this area. 01:00 And so here is a depiction of the location of the spleen in relation to other organs in our abdominal cavity. 01:10 So the spleen also has a few other additional functions. 01:14 First, it's going to store the breakdown products of these red blood cells. 01:19 Remember, it's going to bring in these old aged blood cells. 01:23 And so it can use some of the stuff that is in there, such as the iron for later reuse. 01:31 Secondly, the spleen is going to store blood platelets and monocytes that are going to be released into the blood whenever they are needed. 01:40 Such as when you have an injury, or some type of inflammation or infection. 01:46 Also, the spleen may serve as a site of fetal erythrocyte production or the production of red blood cells in the fetus. 01:58 Like the lymph nodes, the spleen is also encased by a fibrous capsule and as another one of our encapsulated lymphoid organs. 02:08 Also like the lymph node, the spleen has Trabecula from the outside that kind of reach into the inner portion of the spleen Histologically, there are two main components. 02:22 We have the white pulp, which are going to surround the splenic artery and the inside of the spleen. 02:29 And this is going to be surrounded by the red pulp. 02:33 So interestingly, when you look at a section of the spleen, the white pulp kind of looks like a white island in a sea of red. 02:45 So the white pulp is going to be the site where immune function actually occurs. 02:51 It contains mostly lymphocytes that are found on reticular fibers, And the white pulp like I said, is going to cluster around the central arteries and appear as islands of white in a sea of red pulp. 03:07 The red pulp on the other hand is the site where those old blood cells and the bloodborne pathogens are going to be destroyed. 03:16 This area is very rich in red blood cells as well as macrophages that are going to engulf them. 03:23 It also contains splenic cords, which is a type of reticular tissue that separates the blood-filled splenic sinusoids, which are very similar to venous sinuses.
The lecture Spleen – Secondary Lymphoid Organs (Nursing) by Jasmine Clark is from the course Lymphatic System – Physiology (Nursing).
What are some functions of the spleen?
What is the main difference in function of the red pulp and white pulp of the spleen?
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