Can arteris also be known as Afferent Lymphatic Vessels?
I wasn't sure how to ask this question so I hope this makes sense! I've got a diagram that appears to show an artery bringing lymph to a lymph node, but then I've got another diagram that includes both afferent lymphatic vessels and arteries attached to the lymph node, but only the ALVs are bringing in lymph. This confused me and the definition of an afferent lymphatic vessel just says "various vessels" that bring lymph to the lymph node so I wasn't sure if an artery was one of those "various vessels." Thanks!
I wasn't sure how to ask this question so I hope this makes sense! I've got a diagram that appears to show an artery bringing lymph to a lymph node, but then I've got another diagram that includes both afferent lymphatic vessels and arteries attached to the lymph node, but only the ALVs are bringing in lymph. This confused me and the definition of an afferent lymphatic vessel just says "various vessels" that bring lymph to the lymph node so I wasn't sure if an artery was one of those "various vessels." Thanks!
1 Answer
Nope!
Explanation:
Afferent Lymphatic Vessels bring lymph, that is draining from connective tissue, into a lymph node. Arteries transport small lymphocytes to lymph nodes so that the lymphocytes can interact with the lymph brought there by the Afferent Lymphatic Vessels.
If the lymph contains pathogens that activate some of the lymphocytes brought to the lymph node, those lymphocytes will remain in the lymph node and begin dividing and differentiating into effector cells.
The lymphocytes that are not activated by that particular pathogen will exit the lymph node via the Efferent Lymphatic Vessel which will eventually drop those lymphocytes back into the blood stream so that they can continue circulating in the body.
