Organ that filters blood and prevents infection.
The Chinese word for Spleen is Pi. The Spleen is one of the five Zang Fu. The Spleen system is responsible for extracting “good Qi” from food and for distributing this good Qi throughout the body. This function is referred to as “transformation and transportation.” The Stomach, Small Intestine, and Large Intestine all extract nutrients from food, and send them up to the Spleen. Additionally, the Spleen is responsible for holding the internal organs in place, and for keeping the blood inside of the blood vessels. The skeletal muscles, lips, and mouth are all under the influence of the Spleen. The Spleen’s Fu organ “partner” is the Stomach. It is considered to be an “earth” organ in Five Elements theory.
An organ that is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen produces lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood cells. It is located on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.
The large organ lying to the left of, below, and behind the stomach. This organ is partially responsible for white blood cell formation (red blood cells in childhood), and it is lined with resident macrophages that help it filter the blood, remove and recycle old and dead red blood cells, and send this all up to the liver in the portal blood. The liver, in fact, does most of the recycling of splenic hemoglobin derivatives. The spleen initiates much resistance and immunologic response, being made mostly of lymph pulp, and it stores and concentrates a large number of red blood cells. These can be injected into the bloodstream for immediate use under flight or fight stress, since the spleen is covered with capsule and vascular muscles that constrict in the presence of adrenalin or sympathetic adrenergic nerve stimulus.
A large organ situated under the ribs in the upper left side of the abdomen. The functions in the normal destruction of old red blood cells.
An organ in the top part of the abdominal cavity behind the stomach and below the diaphragm, which helps to destroy old red blood cells, form lymphocytes and store blood.
A central organ in the lymphatic system, the network of vessels and organs that function as filters in the body’s immune system to protect against disease.
Large, dark-red, oval organ situated on the left side of the body between the diaphragm and stomach. It is part of the lymphatic and reticuloendothelial systems, functioning to destroy wornout red blood cells; it also stores blood and produces red blood cells before birth. Also called lien.
A nonvital, highly vascular organ involved with lymphocyte production; located in the left hypochondriac region.
An organ in the upper left side of the abdomen, next to the stomach and pancreas, that filters old or damaged red blood cells out of the bloodstream and produces some infection-fighting agents.
A large dark-red ovoid organ situated on the left side of the body below and behind the stomach. It is enclosed within a fibrous capsule that extends into the spongy interior (the splenic pulp) to form a supportive framework. The pulp consists of aggregates of lymphoid tissue (white pulp) within a meshwork of reticular fibers packed with red blood cells (red pulp). The spleen is a major component of the reticuloendothelial system, producing lymphocytes in the newborn and containing phagocytes, which remove worn-out red blood cells and other foreign bodies from the bloodstream. It also acts as a reservoir for blood and, in the fetus, as a source of red blood cells.
An organ deeply placed in the abdomen and a major constituent of the reticuloendothelial system.
A dark red, oval lymphoid organ in the upper left abdominal quadrant posterior and slightly inferior to the stomach; on the inferior side is the hilum, an indentation at which the splenic vessels and nerves enter or exit. The spleen is surrounded by an outer capsule of connective tissue from which strands of connective tissue (trabeculae) extend into the soft pulp (functional tissue), dividing the spleen into compartments.
An organ that is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen produces lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood cells. It is located on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.
Situated on the left side of the abdominal cavity, the spleen functions as a blood cell reservoir and generates lymphocytes and other substances essential for combating infections.
Located in the upper left section of the abdomen and tucked behind the lower ribs, the spleen is a dark red organ roughly the size of a fist. It serves to eliminate damaged and aged red blood cells from the bloodstream while also aiding in infection defense. The spleen generates specific antibodies, as well as types of white blood cells called lymphocytes and phagocytes, which work together to neutralize invading pathogens.
The spleen can swell due to various illnesses, including infections like malaria and mononucleosis, blood-related conditions such as leukemia, thalassemia, and sickle cell anemia, as well as tumors like lymphomas. This enlargement may occur alongside hypersplenism, which is excessive activity of the spleen. A forceful impact to the abdomen can rupture the organ, leading to a life-threatening bleed that may necessitate emergency spleen removal, also known as a splenectomy.
A ductless, gland-like organ positioned just below the diaphragm on the upper left side of the abdomen. It has a purplish color, resembles a flattened oblong shape measuring about five inches in length, and weighs around six ounces. The spleen plays a role in breaking down red blood cells and performs other vital functions, some of which are not entirely understood. While it is significant, it is not indispensable for survival. Certain diseases, such as leukemia and malaria, can lead to a significant enlargement of the spleen. Animal spleens sold as pet food are referred to as “melts.”