lymphatic system
scientific, cultural and personal overview
Etymology / Mythology The origin of the word lympha is obscure. It may originally have been lumpa or limpa, related to the adjective limpidus meaning „clear, transparent” especially applied to liquids. The Lympha is an ancient Roman deity of fresh water. She is one of twelve agricultural deities listed by Varro as „leaders” of Roman farmers, because „without water all agriculture is dry and poor.” In the religions of ancient Greece, Rome, and the Celtic territories, water goddesses are commonly sources of inspiration or divine revelation, which may have the appearance of madness or frenzy. The Latin verb lympho, lymphare meant „to drive crazy” or „to be in a state of frenzy,” with the adjectives lymphaticus and lymphatus meaning „frenzied, deranged” and the abstract noun lymphatio referring to the state itself.
Medicine organ system (in vertebrates) part of the circulatory system and the immune system open system
human lymphatic system contains: lymphatic vessels (and caterpillars)
lymphatic organs
primary: Bone marrow, Thymus; secondary: Spleen, Appendix, Tonsil, Lymph nodes; tertiary lymphoid organs: abnormal lymph node-like structures (that form in peripheral tissues at sites of chronic inflammation, such as chronic infection)
lymphoid tissues
(concerned with immune functions in defending the body against infections and the spread of tumours)
functions: drainage
It is responsible for the removal of interstitial fluid from tissues (and returning it to the circular system)
immune
The lymph transports antigen-presenting cells to the lymph nodes where an immune response is stimulated
absorbing
It absorbs and transports fatty acids and fats as chyle from the digestive system
transportation
It transports white blood cells to and from the lymph nodes into the bones
human lymphatic system
Lymphatic vessels are distributed along the body wherever we have arteries or veins. The lymphatic system is bigger than the circulatory system and moves about twice the amount of fluid on a daily basis. The lymphatic system has no pump it relies on the bodies mechanical movement (skeleton musck contraction, arterial pulse), gravity and pressure to help move the fluid around. Right lymphatic dust collect fluids form the right arm, right side of the head and thorax and the left from rest of the body.
Diagram of human vessels and organs in the lymphatic system
drainage function Circulatory system processes an average of 20 litres of blood per day through capillary filtration, which removes plasma from the blood. Roughly 17 litres of the filtered plasma is reabsorbed directly into the blood vessels, while the remaining 3 litres remain in the interstitial fluid Fluid (mostly plasma) taken inside the lymphatic system is then called lymph.
Interrelation between circulatory lymphatic and system – collecting lympha
Lymph vessels in the tissue spaces
variable structure of lymphatic veins (1)external fluid forming the pressure opening the partitions, (2) internal fluid closing them
absorbing function Most of the fats absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract are taken up in a part of the gut membrane in the small intestine that is specially adapted by the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system has tiny lacteals in this part of the intestine that form part of the villi. These finger-like protruding structures are produced by the tiny folds in the absorptive surface of the gut. Lacteals absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins to form a milky white fluid called chyle.
immune function Lymphocyte A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell in the vertebrate immune system. Lymphocytes include natural killer cells (which function in cell-mediated, cytotoxic innate immunity), T cells (for cell-mediated, cytotoxic adaptive immunity), and B cells (for humoral, antibody-driven adaptive immunity). They are the main type of cell found in lymph, which prompted the name „lymphocyte�. Lymphocyte makes up between 18% and 42% of circulating leukocytes (white blood cells/WBCs), which translates to between one and two trillion of these cells in a healthy individual. T cells and B cells and Natural killer cells Apart from their ability to quickly respond to invading pathogens, some (particularly the B and T lymphocytes) have a unique characteristic in that they can retain memory of antigens they may have previously encountered. This makes it possible for these cells to immediately destroy such antigen when they encounter them again. And so, they are also referred to as memory cells. Any damage to the bone marrow might result in serious decline in the immunity level of your body - because, the bone marrow is the place where white blood cells are generated and are transported to the lymph nodes for their action against the disease causing agents.
other facts If lymphatic system stopped working, we would die within 24-48 hours. Lymph nodes are round or kidney-shaped, and can be up to 1 inch in diameter. The digestive system has millions of lymphatic vessels (lacteals) that absorb the fats and fatty acids that we ingest and transports them directly to the heart where they enter the circulatory system to use as fuel. Lymph nodes are used to help determine the stage of cancer. Part of the TNM system is to count how many lymph nodes are infected with the cancer and where those lymph nodes are located. Typically stage II or stage III of cancer is when the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, but not other parts of the body. There are no lymphatic vessels in the brain. The wastes make their way out to the space between the brain is cells cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) witch is then dumped in the blood. This is a solution that is entirely unique to the brain. And it’s only happening in the sleeping brain.
Culture and commerce Action functioning in different societies and cultures aimed at stimulation of the lymphatic system (not all scientific proven)
Nourishment Contrasting Showers / Infrared sauna
Massage: Manual Dry brush Gua Sha Compres- sion gar- ment
Conscious Breathing
Inversion Therapy Table (inversion chair / gravity boots) Wearing loose clothes
Laughter
Sleep
Movement:
Exercises Yoga Exercises affecting gravitational impact
Massage
Nourishment
Manua massages Whole body, face, neck, arms, knees, chest, shoulder, fingers, leg, toes
Water
Dry brush Start at your feet and move up your body. Brush your skin using wide, circular, clockwise motions. Brush your arms after you have brushed your feet, legs, and mid-section. You should brush upward towards your armpits Gua Sha Traditional East Asian therapy that involves scraping your skin with a massage tool to improve your circulation. Compression garment Bags for whole body, sleeves, pants
Herbs Echinacea, Astragulus, Cleavers, Goldenseal, Wild Indigo Root, Mullein, Tumeric, Ginger, Cinnamon, Coriander, Black pepper Raw food citrus, berries, greens, chia seeds, hemp, flax, pumpkin seed sunflower seed
Movement
Contrasting Showers
Exercises Neck roll, Leg circles, Shoulder shrug, Ankle pumps
The last minute or so of your shower make it hotter than usual. Then the last 30 seconds turn the water to tepid.
Yoga poses Uttanasan – Standing Forward Bend Adho mukha svanasana – Downward Dog Pose Bitilasana, Marjaryasana– Cat, Cow Posevvvv Halasana – Plow Kapalabhati – Skull-Shining Breath – forcefully expel of the breath out through the nostrils using the lower transverse abdominus muscle. The exhalation is active and the inhalation is passive. Exercises affecting gravitational impact Rebounding (trampoline), Handstand, Gymnastics bridge, Shoulder stand
Infrared sauna This sauna system don’t heat the air around. Instead, the infrared lamps with the electromagnetic radiation are used to warm your body directly.
Wearing loose clothes Too tight clothing restricts lymphatic system and can cause blockage. For the same reason it’s best not to wear bras for at least 12 hours per day and avoid under-wires in bras. Conscious Breathing Place both hands on the stomach. Inhale through the nose, expanding the stomach and keeping the shoulders still.Slowly exhale through the mouth. Rest between breaths.
Laughter Studies have shown that belly laughter accomplishes the diaphragmatic breathing necessary (diaphragm fluttering up and down at a very quick rate) to create a strong negative pressure within the thoracic duct (the largest lymphatic vessel in the body). Under negative pressure, the lymphatic fluid seeks an area of lesser pressure, thus shooting the lymph up and out through lymphatic vessels, increasing the speed and flow up to 10-15 times its normal rate of flow.
Personal practice a daily routine that I have started and will continue for at least a month in conjunction with the record-keeping of the lymphatic diary
monitoring of the wellbeing and the possibility of experiencing a change in the functioning of lymphatic systems
getting to know new: rhythms directions movements strengths
Bibiography: Biology by Claude Alvin Villee Jr., Diana W. Martin, Eldra Pearl Solomon, Linda R. Berg Gray’s Anatomy for Students by Richard Drake A. Wayne Vogl Adam W. M. Mitchell Medicine The Definitive Illustrated History by Steve Parker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lympha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphatic_system https://www.lgdalliance.org/the-lymphatic-system/ https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uk%C5%82ad_limfatyczny https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320397#side-effects-and-risks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxOIKIe8BE4&ab_channel=Dr.NajeebLectures https://ktociewyleczy.pl/wiedza/problemy-zdrowotne/choroby-skory/cellulit/ 6937-limfa https://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/category/science/
Ilustration on page 7 - Biology by Claude Alvin Villee Jr., Diana W. Martin, Eldra Pearl Solomon, Linda R. Berg
Agnieszka Cieszanowska | connecting in lymph | 2020 | Design Academy Eindhoven | Cleaning Agents