niche term: lymph nodes
Body's checkpoint stations
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures distributed throughout the body that filter lymph fluid and house immune cells.
They swell noticeably during infections as they trap pathogens and mount immune responses: The doctor felt for swollen lymph nodes in my neck.
In cancer contexts, whether disease has spread to the lymph nodes is a critical staging factor.
- swollenAbnormally enlarged
- swollen glandsInflamed immune tissue masses
- glandsSecreting organs
- immuneProtected from harm
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
biopsy · tender · neck · under the arm · armpit · groin · cancer · metastasis · stage four · drainage · filter · white blood cells · tonsils · lumps · fever · inflammation · mammogram · oncologist
niche term: lymph nodesblood vessels
Tubes carrying circulating fluid
arteries · veins · capillaries · cardiovascular system · heart
niche term: lymph nodeslymphatic vessels
Channels draining tissue fluid
niche term: lymph nodeskidneys
Blood-filtering organ pair
liver · spleen · bone marrow · lungs
lymph, nodes, lymphatic, lymphoid, lymphoma, lymphocyte, lymphocytes, nodule, nodules