Lymphatic System Spleen
The Spleen - known as the largest lymphatic organ in the human body. The spleen usually is depicted in the same color as the rest of the lymphatic system but that is simply so that students can isolate and reference where it is in relation to other organs. The spleen piggybacks on the apex of the stomach. The spleen holds up to one pint of blood for future use and needs of the body. Hence, one of the reasons when you give blood they normally only remove up to one pint of blood at a time. The spleen also servers as a filtration system for the blood stream it removes phagocytes and many types of bacteria and foreign substances from the bloodstream.
The spleen has been know to remove dead or worn out Red blood cells and white blood cells from the bloodstream. Once the Red blood cells have been removed, or destroyed it removes the iron found in the hemoglobin for use once again. One could say that the spleen is just as important as the liver when it comes to filtration of the blood. Doctors are hesitant to remove the spleen from the body because of the damage that it will cause once removed. However, if the doctor removes the spleen it is called a splenectomy, because it has been surgically removed from the body.
