Question

What is lymph? How is the composition of lymph different from the blood plasma? What is the direction of its flow?

Answer 1

Hint: This system forms the distribution network of the immune system. It works against the foreign pathogens in our system. The appendix is recently discovered to be a part of the lymphatic system. In Ayurveda time, it was called the water of life.

Complete answer:
What is lymph?
It is a colourless fluid that has white blood cells in it. This fluid bathes the tissue and drains in the lymphatic system into the bloodstream. It is composed of lymph vessels and lymph nodes. Their major function is to return the fluid from the tissues into the circulation system.

How is the composition of lymph different from the blood plasma? They have a similar composition but not identical. Lymph has more lymphocytes than blood plasma. The lymph leaves its way from the lymph node. Lymph is formed in the human digestive tract system called chyle. It is rich in triglycerides and has milky texture and colour due to the presence of lipid content.

What is the direction of the flow of lymph? The blood flows in the body in all directions but the lymph flows only in one direction, that is, in the upward direction towards the neck. It flows in the venous bloodstream via subclavian veins which are present near the collarbone at the side of the neck.

Note: It is the undervalued system in our body without which one can die within 2 days. It has double the size of the blood circulation system and has double volume too. There are around 500-800 lymph nodes in our body. This works to remove all the pathogens and toxic substances from our body.