Lymphatic System

Its three principal functions are: to collect and return interstitial fluid and thus help maintain fluid balance,to defend the body against disease by producing lymphocytes, and to absorb lipids from the intestine and transport them to the blood. Such a system has to have a high intravascular pressure if the blood is to be adequately transported. This results in fluid seepage from the capillaries and it is thought that the lymphatic system originally evolved to combat this problem. Lymphatic tissue is a type of connective tissue characterised by large numbers of lymphocytes. The stroma of lymphatic tissue is a network of reticular fibres. Connective tissue cells including fibroblasts and macrophages are present.