262 POULTRY CULTtTRE 



effete or waste products resulting from cell metabolism, which, 

 in turn, is carried away by the lymph capillaries and vessels. 



Lymph is a fluid, alkaline in reaction, with a specific gravity 

 of 1012 to 1021, and is slightly yellowish in color. 



In many respects lymph may be compared to blood without 

 the red blood-cells. It is capable of coagulation much as 

 blood, except that the clot is longer in forming and is not so 

 firm in consistency. Like blood it contains serum albumin, 

 fibrinogen, and paraglobulin, but in smaller amounts. It con- 

 tains cells, called lymph-cells, which resemble c(u-tain white 

 cells of the blood. It also contains gases, principal^ carbon 

 dioxid, as well as salts and extractives. 



The fluid containing these is called lymph-plasma. Lymph- 

 plasma is then lymph minus the cellular elements, and blood 

 plasma is blood minus its cellular elements. 



A group of lymph vessels is found in the mesentery support- 

 ing the intestines. These lymph vessels originate by Ijmiph 

 radicles in villi or minute teat-like projections located on the 

 mucous surface of the small intestine. This lymph radicle is 

 called a lacteal, because it absorbs the milk-like substance 

 from the intestines, which is the emulsified fat, and surrounds 

 this lacteal. In the villus there is found a network of capillary 

 blood-vessels. The villus is covered with a basement mem- 

 brane which possesses a layer of columnar epithelial cells. 

 These cells are in touch with adenoid cells located on the inner 

 surface of the villus and surrounding the lacteal. These 

 columnar cells contain nuclei near their bases. The villi are 

 provided with parallel arranged muscular fibers, which, by 

 contraction, aided by the peristaltic action of the intestine, 

 alternately fill and empty the lacteal vessels. The chyle is 

 passed through the columnar cells to the adenoid cells, then 

 to the lacteals, thence to the lymph vessels at the base of the 

 villus, from whence it is carried by larger lymph vessels, 

 finally emptying into the venous blood before it reaches the 

 heart. 



The chyle obtained from the intestines is a turbid liquid pos- 

 sessing an alkaline reaction and a specific gravity of about 1010 

 to 1020. 



Capillaries are capable of absorbing substances in solution 



