ABSORPTION. ICQ 



as long as they are confined within the blood-vessels. But owing to the char- 

 acter of the wall of the capillary blood-vessels, some of the constituents of 

 the blood-plasma pass through it and are received by the tissue-spaces in 

 which they come into contact with the tissue-cells. To the sum total of 

 these materials the term lymph is given. Its function becomes apparent 

 from its origin and composition, its situation and relation to the tissues. It 

 is to furnish the tissue-cells with those nutritive materials which are necessary 

 for their growth, repair and functional activity. It also receives all waste 

 products that arise from their activity prior to their removal by the blood- 

 and lymph- vessels. 



Absorption of Lymph. From the fact that lymph is being discharged 

 more or less continuously from the thoracic duct, it is evident that lymph 

 is being absorbed from the intercellular spaces; from which it may be inferred 

 that more lymph is passing from the blood into the tissue-spaces than is 

 necessary for the immediate needs of the tissues. To prevent an accumula- 

 tion and an interference through pressure with the activities of the tissues, 

 the excess is absorbed by the lymph-vessels and returned to the blood stream 

 by way of the thoracic duct. It is likely that some of the constituents are 

 absorbed by the blood-vessels. 



Chyle. Chyle is the fluid found in the lymph vessels, coming from the 

 small intestine after the digestion of a meal containing fat. In the intervals 

 of digestion the fluid of these lymphatics is identical in all respect with the 

 lymph found in all other regions of the body. As soon at the granular 

 fat passes into the lymph vessels and mingles with the lymph it becomes 

 milky white in color, and the vessels which previously were invisible become 

 visible, and resemble white threads running between the layers of the mesen- 

 tery. Chyle has a composition similar to that of lymph, but it contains, 

 in addition, numerous fatty granules, each surrounded by an albuminous 

 envelope. When examined microscopically, the chyle presents a fine 

 molecular basis, made up of the finely divided granules of fat. 



COMPOSITION OF CHYLE. 



Water 9 2 -37 



Albumin 35 l6 



Fibrinogen 3-7 



Extractives 15 -<>5 



Fatty matters 3 6 - OI 



Salts 7- 11 



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