The lymphatic system is a complex
network of thin vessels, valves, ducts, nodes,
and organs. It helps to protect and maintain
the fluid environment of the body by producing,
filtering, and conveying lymph and by producing
various blood cells. Lymph nodes play an important
part in the body's defense against infection.
The
most common cause of swollen lymph nodes is
infection, which might occur even if the infection
is trivial or not. Afferent lymph vessels bring
unfiltered fluids into the lymph node to be filtered
while efferent vessels carry clean fluids away
from the lymph node and to the cardiovascular
system where it helps form the plasma in the
blood.
Overall, lymph nodes work like a biological
filtering system. When the body is invaded
by foreign organisms, the painful swelling sometimes
felt in the neck, armpits, groin, or tonsils
comes from the microorganisms being trapped
inside collections of lymph cells or nodes. Eventually,
these organisms are destroyed and eliminated
by cells that line the walls of the lymph nodes
and the swelling and pain subside.
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