HCS 510 Lymphatic System

**INCLUDES SLIDES AND SPEAKER NOTES***

The lymphatic vessels and nodes make up the majority of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic vessels are thin walled veins that run in the same sheaths as our arteries and veins. The pictures here show how the lymph capillaries intertwine with the cardiovascular capillaries to absorb excess fluid through pressure gradients. Larger lymph vessels have valves to maintain a one-way flow towards the heart. The lymphatic system is a pump-less system and the lymph travels by passive compression of skeletal muscles, pulsating arteries, and vessel smooth muscle wall contraction.