Anatomy
spleen
spleen [ spleen ]
Subclass of:
Lymphoid Tissue
Etymology:
Greek splen = spleen, perhaps originally related to splanchna = viscera
Definitions related to spleen:
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An abdominal organ that is part of the hematopoietic and immune systems. It is composed of the white pulp and the red pulp and is surrounded by a capsule.CDISC TerminologyClinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
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An encapsulated lymphatic organ through which venous blood filters.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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An organ that is part of the hematopoietic and immune systems. It is composed of the white pulp and the red pulp and is surrounded by a capsule. It is located in the left hypochondriac region. Its functions include lymphocyte production, blood cell storage, and blood cell destruction.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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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.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Glandlike ductless organ situated in the upper abdominal cavity; it gives rise to new red blood cells in fetus and newborn, disintegrates red blood cells, serves as a blood reservoir, and produces lymphocytes and plasma cells.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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Homogenous organ the stroma of which subdivides the parenchyma into red and white pulps.Foundational Model of AnatomyUniversity of Washington, 2017
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By structure and function, the spleen is essentially 2 organs: The white pulp, consisting of periarterial lymphatic sheaths and germinal centers, acts as an immune organ.Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
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The spleen is an organ shaped like a shoe that lies relative to the 9th and 11th ribs and is located in the left hypochondrium and partly in the epigastrium. Thus, the spleen is situated between the fundus of the stomach and the diaphragm.WebMD, 2019
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Spleen, organ of the lymphatic system located in the left side of the abdominal cavity under the diaphragm, the muscular partition between the abdomen and the chest. In humans it is about the size of a fist and is well supplied with blood. As the lymph nodes are filters for the lymphatic...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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