Chapter 12: The Lymphatic System

They can't all be superstars! When we mentally tick off the names of the body's organ systems, the lymphatic (lim-fat'ik) system is probably not the first to come to mind. Yet without this quietly working system, our cardiovascular system would stop working and our immune system would be hopelessly impaired. The lymphatic system actually consists of two semi-independent parts: (1) a meandering network of lymphatic vessels and (2) various lymphoid tissues and organs scattered throughout the body. The lymphatic vessels transport fluids that have escaped from the blood vascular system back to the blood. The lymphoid organs house phagocytic cells and lymphocytes, which play essential roles in body defense and resistance to disease.