The Spleen an Amazing Organ

The builders of structures such as bridges recognize the need to provide a safety margin. The structure must be strong enough not only to sustain the maximum loads expected, but to have an additional safety margin for unexpected tensions that had to endure. However, the bridge builders are not the first to consider a safety margin. God provided this to our body.

One might say that in many respects the spleen is an organ of margin of safety. Until the age of two years, a child may succumb to an infection if he has no spleen. But after that, if surgically removed spleen was clearly other parts of the body absorb many of its functions.

Some 1,800 years ago Galen, a senior doctor in those days, said: "The spleen is an organ full of mystery." The story is told that Rudolf Virchow, a famous pathologist of the nineteenth century once asked a student medicine in its class what was the role of the spleen. The student stammered and said he knew his role but he had forgotten. "What a pity!" Virchow said. "At last we have here someone who knew why we spleen and now you've forgotten!" And yet as the spleen there are many things that are not clear, as shown, for example, the difference of medical opinion As for how the blood of the spleen passes from arteries to veins.
It may well be said that no other organ in the body similar to the spleen. The body itself is insensitive to pain, so in that sense is like the brain. It looks like a gland, but does not belong to the glands that have pipes, since it has none, or those that have no ducts, because it produces hormones. Rhythmic contractions have two to five times per minute.

Where is it located our spleen? In the upper abdomen, just below the diaphragm that separates the chest organs in the abdomen. One might say that it resembles a small hand corner. In adults is about six inches long, about eight inches wide and an inch and a half to four inches thick, on average, weighs about 200 grams. It is a purple or bright red and has a durable cover or 'cap' elastic exterior. The spleen is very adaptable and can alter its size to fit your workload, the circumstances and even temperature.
How much does the spleen can see some of this description very well suited to him: "It's a combination of workshop manufacturing, filtration unit, according to eliminate waste and plant salvage and storage."-Today 's Health

For starters, the spleen is a manufacturing workshop. Even before the third month of fetal development the spleen begins to work, producing white and red blood cells. However, after birth the baby spleen is limited to the production of white blood cells called lymphocytes. What producer is! They say that blood is sixty times richer white blood cells when spleen out when he enters.
As a workshop manufacturing the spleen also produces antibodies, tiny blood particles that serve to form the body's immunity. And the spleen produces a substance that helps the body fight the effects of irradiation. Really valuable products are 'made' in this' workshop. "

 The spleen is also a filter unit. Involved with the liver to filter waste products from the blood as harmful organisms, outdated red blood cells and platelets. It has a large artery that gives the appearance of being completely out of proportion to the size of the spleen. But it takes much is clear when one considers that the entire blood supply of the body, about five to six liters, passes through the spleen every ninety minutes.
This filtration is carried on in much the cells lining their blood vessels. The one who can make this baffles scientists. They tell us: "We do not know what that power inherent in these cells that makes them so susceptible ... is almost like a human observer, an inspector... which monitors the product to be free from defects. "
Agreement to eliminate waste and conduct rescue
Once they have been filtered from the blood all these elements useless, harmful or at least imperfect, there is the problem of getting rid of them and to save what can be saved. Spleen also plays these tasks by certain cells theirs. Red blood cells have an average lifespan of 127 days. To keep the body fueled properly, or red bone marrow red bone marrow must produce two and a half million of these cells every second of every hour both day and night. It follows that to prevent a blockage of blood flow is necessary for a similar number, about two and a half million obsolete cell, is removed every second. Although it has been suggested that the spleen (along with the liver) provides us with "an excellent example of dynamic equilibrium." For this reason it is also called the spleen "the graveyard of red blood cells." Cells that destroy cells Outdated red, and in the spleen are stationary, are called macrophages, which means "big eaters." cells that attack harmful organisms are called phagocytes, which means "devouring cells." Toward the end of an attack by a infectious disease shows that these cells are filled with organisms that cause the illness.

When available red blood cells saved the iron obsolete. When cells that destroy obsolete cells are filled with iron, traveling to the red bone marrow and iron deposited there that have saved to be used again and again. It is true that the spleen does not waste a single thing. It is said that their cells are more efficient than the liver, but the liver makes more of this work because it has many more of these cells.

 The spleen is also a deposit. Small as it is when healthy, the spleen may be enlarged to contain up to one liter of blood. When we engage in strenuous exercise our spleen contracts to provide additional blood to the muscles. Also when there is a sudden loss of blood, as when there is bleeding or injury, spleen immediately compensate for the loss to the extent it can, squeezing most of his own blood in circulation. Similarly, when someone who usually lives in a low altitude traveling at a high altitude, spleen immediately send additional supply of red corpuscles in the bloodstream, it requires more due to lack of oxygen in the air. But after a while the red marrow and heart fit to handle this increased load.

In times past it has often been associated with spleen emotions, especially anger. It seems that this is a good base, because when a man or an animal is seized with fear or strong anger, the spleen contracts immediately, sending extra blood flow to strengthen the body for emergency. Thus, experiments have demonstrated that the spleen of a dog who is used to chase the cats contracts and empties its contents into the bloodstream of the dog smell it a shaker that has been in contact with cats or hearing meows .

 Not quite forty years for the first time a surgeon removed the spleen of a patient suffering from hemolytic anemia, obviously with beneficial results. This operation resulted in a large increase in spleen research. Also, apparently caught on spleens removed temporarily. However, today there is much less removal of spleens. Among other things, it was found that in such cases the failure was that the body produces defective red blood cells.
However, in certain disease conditions it is likely that doctors recommend removal of the spleen, especially if it becomes very enlarged. In one case in which the spleen increased from 170 grams to 9 kilos, at fifty times the original! It was as if the woman carrying a baby in the abdomen! But this is rare. In fact, tumors that rarely affect the spleen has been described as anti-cancer.
Today most of the operations to remove the spleen are due to serious accidents, such as those produced by car crashes or skiing accidents. If you break the capsule of the spleen, blood spills into the abdomen, and maybe we need an operation to prevent the patient bleed to death. Or damage can occur within the capsule, so that it fills with blood to the breaking point, which can also lead to similar fatal results. Moreover, when suffering from shock, when it seems that the blood removed from the circulation without any clear reason and the patient becomes pale as if dead and unconscious, it was discovered that the spleen swells with blood.
Truly meets the spleen valuable purposes. Although the body can adjust to their removal, plays a valuable service. It really is 'a factory workshop, a filtration unit, an arrangement to eliminate waste and carry out rescue and a deposit.' How all this testifies to the wisdom of the Creator and underlines the words of the psalmist David certainly that our bodies are made 'so wonderful and inspiring fear'