Welcome to the Blood/Lymphatic System Studies Page
About Blood/Lymphatic System
Blood, the body’s fluid transportation system, is pumped by the heart around the body through a network of arteries, veins, and capillaries. It is a mixture of red and white blood cells and platelets within liquid plasma, and brings nutrition and oxygen to cells. Blood also carries infection-fighting cells throughout the body, flushes away waste, and clots at the site of injury to stop bleeding. Blood disorders and diseases can have many serious impacts, such as the inadequate oxygen delivery caused by anemia or the clotting problems hemophilia causes. Some types of cancer, such as leukemia and myeloma, primarily affect blood. Similar to blood, lymph is a fluid that carries cells throughout the body. The lymphatic system is a major part of the immune system - lymph carries disease-fighting antibodies and lymph nodes filter out foreign cells. When battling an infection, lymph nodes can become painful and swollen, or even clogged. By studying these two systems, researchers hope to unlock new treatments and prevention approaches for a range of diseases.
