Fluid found in lymphatic vessels is known as: interstitial fluid intracellular fluid lymph plasma
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: lymph
Explanation (300 words):
The fluid found in lymphatic vessels is called lymph. It plays a vital role in maintaining fluid balance in the body, filtering harmful substances, and supporting immune functions.
Lymph originates from interstitial fluid, which is the fluid that surrounds and bathes the body’s tissues. Interstitial fluid forms when blood plasma (the liquid part of blood) leaks out of the capillaries due to pressure differences. Most of this fluid is reabsorbed into the blood capillaries, but a small portion enters the lymphatic capillaries, where it becomes lymph.
Once inside the lymphatic system, this fluid travels through progressively larger lymphatic vessels. Along the way, it passes through lymph nodes, where it is filtered for pathogens, cellular debris, and foreign particles. Lymph nodes contain immune cells like lymphocytes and macrophages that help detect and destroy harmful microorganisms.
Lymph is composed primarily of water, but it also contains white blood cells (especially lymphocytes), proteins, salts, glucose, and sometimes bacteria or viruses if an infection is present. Unlike blood, lymph does not contain red blood cells.
The lymphatic system does not have a pump like the heart in the circulatory system. Instead, lymph is moved through the vessels by the contraction of surrounding skeletal muscles, pressure changes in the thorax during breathing, and valves that prevent backflow.
Eventually, the lymph drains into larger lymphatic ducts, such as the thoracic duct and right lymphatic duct, which empty the fluid back into the venous bloodstream, helping maintain proper blood volume and pressure.
In summary, lymph is the clear-to-milky fluid transported by the lymphatic vessels, essential for immune function and fluid balance. It is distinct from interstitial fluid (its precursor), intracellular fluid (inside cells), and plasma (a component of blood).