What does the spleen do?
The spleen is a key component of the immune system. It filters old blood cells, bacteria, tumor cells out of the blood and breaks them down. The macrophages then get rid of them.
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00:00Even the toughest challenge is child's play for your hammering heart.
00:06Your brilliant brain is sensational at math.
00:11And your magnificent muscles are not only excellent powerhouses, but also the most beautiful
00:16thing you have to offer.
00:17Unbelievable.
00:18But all your mighty super organs would be pretty much at a loss if it weren't for this
00:23humble substance, your blood.
00:25It tirelessly provides everything your heart, brain, muscles and all other organs need.
00:32So you need healthy blood, but how do you get it?
00:35That's what we're going to show you today.
00:38And we'll look at an organ that is unfairly underrated, the spleen, because it has a lot
00:42to do with blood.
00:43Welcome to In Good Shape.
00:55Your blood is not a pure homogenous liquid, it's much more.
01:04It sweeps along nutrients and messenger substances, as well as waste products.
01:11Billions of blood cells inhabit the stream, and when they die, the remains are left behind.
01:17But pathogens also use the bloodstream to get around.
01:25And that's where the spleen comes into play.
01:28It keeps a careful lookout for what belongs in the blood and what doesn't.
01:33Finding the spleen among all your other organs is a bit tricky.
01:37It sits on the outer left edge of your abdomen, squeezed in between the lower rib cage, liver,
01:43stomach and kidneys.
01:47At just over 10 centimeters long, it's a rather small organ.
01:52It's easy to understand what the spleen does by looking inside.
01:56The areas of reddish tissue, called red pulp, are where old, infected or dead red blood
02:01cells are swallowed up by other cells called macrophages.
02:05Valuable components such as iron end up back in the blood.
02:12In the bone marrow, new red blood cells are made with them.
02:18Until the sixth month in the womb, the spleen also produces new red blood cells.
02:22Later, it stores a large quantity of them.
02:25They're used to transport oxygen in an emergency.
02:30The tissue of the white pulp is like that found in the lymph nodes.
02:34It's specialized in detecting and fighting pathogens in the blood.
02:40Macrophages also play a key role in this process, first tracking down harmful bacteria, then
02:46swallowing and breaking them down with the help of acids and enzymes.
02:51After detection, information about pathogens is passed on to other cells in the immune
02:56system for identification.
03:00And the spleen also starts to busily train white blood cells to fight off the invaders.
03:10And though it's important, we can live without our spleens if necessary.
03:16Other organs, like the liver, bone marrow, thymus and lymphatic system can make up for
03:21it.
03:22But people whose spleens are removed have weaker immune systems and need extra protection
03:28against disease, because it's always good to have specialists on the team.