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The lymphatic system and immunity

The lymphatic and immune systems are interconnected to such a degree that a number of lymphoid organs are also main sites of the body’s defence, specifically the bone marrow, spleen, thymus and lymph nodes. It is in the bone marrow that the specialist infection-busting lymphocytes are originally produced before heading off into the bloodstream and lymph nodes to await their call to action.

Lymphatic fluid entering this transport network is filtered through the lymph nodes, which also happen to be a major stronghold of the Pac-Man like leukocytes (or ‘macrophages’) we encountered in non-specific immunity, above. Any unwanted invaders picked up by the lymph – be they bacteria, viruses…

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