HUMAN BODY 3

KNOW YOUR BODY    3. J K SIVAN

                                                                           

   THE SPLEEN 

Dear Friends

I am thankful to all those who contacted me to thank me for the articles on our body.  Well it is some basic knowledge  to know about our system of  body function.   This is the third in the series 

We shall today know something about the Spleen  (மண்ணீரல்) in our body.  Almost all animals have spleen.  It is the filter for purifying the blood..  It removes microbes and worn out or damaged red blood cells..  It affects the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body, and the number of platelets, which are cells that help your blood to clot. It does this by breaking down and removing cells that are abnormal, old, or damaged.

The spleen varies in size and shape between people, but it’s commonly fist-shaped, purple, and about 4 inches long. Because the spleen is protected by the rib cage, you can’t easily feel it unless it’s abnormally enlarged.

When blood flows into the spleen, red blood cells must pass through narrow passages within the organ.   Healthy blood cells can easily pass, but old or damaged red blood cells are broken down by large white blood cells. The spleen will save any useful components from the old blood cells, including iron, so they can be reused in new cells. The spleen can increase in size in order to store blood 

The organ can widen or narrow, depending on the body's needs. At its largest, the spleen can hold up to a cup of reserve blood.

We talk much about immune system during this crisis we face with Corona. Spleen is an important organ in the immune system.  It  produces the  white blood cells for fighting infection and synthesize antibodies.   Spleen  though it  performs many functions in the body, is  not vital for our survival.  Other parts adapt to situation in the absence of spleen. pt and increase their ability to fight infection and remove redundant red blood cells.

Do you know where is spleen in our body?   It is located in the left upper quarter of the abdomen, beneath the ninth to the twelfth rib. In healthy adults, the organ measures around 10 to 12 centimetres in length and weighs around 150 to 200 grams.  It is in two compartments, the red pulp and the white pulp, and is surrounded by a dense fibrous covering called the splenic capsule.

The splenic artery delivers blood to the spleen where it is filtered by the red pulp. The red pulp is made up of cords of connective tissue and wide blood vessels called splenic sinusoids. Blood passes through the cords and into the sinusoids where it is drained into the large trabecular veins of the spleen.

When your spleen enlarges, it can’t filter your blood as efficiently as it once did. It may accidentally filter out normal red blood cells and platelets, leaving fewer healthy blood cells in your body. An enlargement of the spleen that leads to the destruction of too many blood cells is a condition called hypersplenism.

An enlarged spleen  may not cause symptoms at first. Eventually, it can become painful. If your spleen enlarges too much, it can rupture. The spleen can also become injured or rupture immediately after a hard hit to the abdomen, a rib fracture, or other accident. This can lead to removal of the spleen.

The spleen is the largest organ in the lymphatic system. It is an important organ for keeping bodily fluids balanced, but as already stated above, we can  possibly live without it.

If the spleen detects potentially dangerous bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms in the blood, it — along with the lymph nodes — creates white blood cells called lymphocytes, which act as defenders against invaders, The lymphocytes produce antibodies to kill the foreign microorganisms and stop infections from spreading.

Symptoms of a lacerated or ruptured spleen include pain or tenderness to the touch in the upper left part of the abdomen, left shoulder and left chest wall, as well as confusion and lightheadedness. If you experience any of the symptoms after a trauma, seek emergency medical attention immediately.

Treatment options depend on the condition of the injury. Lower-grade lacerations may be able to heal without surgery, though they will probably require hospital stays while doctors observe your condition. Higher-grade lacerations or ruptures may require surgery to repair the spleen, surgery to remove part of the spleen, or surgery to remove the spleen completely.

An enlarged spleen, also called a splenomegaly, is a serious but typically treatable condition. "An enlarged spleen puts one at risk for rupture," Anyone can get an enlarged spleen, but children suffering from mononucleosis, adults with certain inherited metabolic disorders including Gaucher's and Neimann-Pick disease, and people who live or travel to malaria-endemic areas are more at risk.

Cancers that originate in the spleen are relatively rare. When they do occur, they are almost always lymphomas, blood cancers that occur in the lymphatic system. Usually lymphomas start in other areas and invade the spleen. According to the National Cancer Institute, adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma can have a spleen stage. This type of spleen invasion can also happen with leukemia, blood cancer that originates in bone marrow. Rarely, other types of cancers — like lung or stomach cancers — will invade the spleen.

Spleen cancer symptoms may resemble a cold or there may be pain or fullness in the upper abdomen. An enlarged spleen can also be the result of spleen cancer.