What does the spleen do?

DW (English)

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.

Transcript

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.

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