Functions

One of the lymphatic system’s primary jobs is to collect excess fluid (particularly lymph fluid) surrounding the body’s tissues and organs and return it to the bloodstream. If the lymphatic system didn’t drain excess fluid from the tissues, the lymph fluid would build up in the body and cause swelling.

As lymph passes through the lymph nodes, the white blood cells attack any bacteria or viruses found in the lymph. If cancer cells break away from a tumor, they can attach to the nearby lymph nodes. This is the reason doctors will check the lymph nodes first when determining how far a cancer has spread.

The spleen filters blood, removing old red blood cells and replacing them with new red blood cells that are made in the bone marrow.

The lymphatic system also helps to remove toxins and other impurities from the body, such as carbon dioxide, sodium and other byproducts of cellular feeding on oxygen, minerals and nutrients. The system helps to remove these impurities and dispose of them through perspiration, bowel movements, urine and your breath.

The lymphatic system helps defend the body against illness-causing germs, bacteria, viruses and fungi. The system builds immunity by making special white blood cells (called lymphocytes) that produce antibodies which are responsible for immune responses that defend the body against disease.