Abstract
IN mammals lymph vessels draining the abdominal viscera and lower half of the body converge just below the diaphragm to form the thoracic duct, a single major channel which ascends through the chest and enters the venous system on the left side of the neck. Although it is recognized that the lymphatic system collects plasma protein, absorbed lipid and immunologically active cells and protein, the physiological advantage of transporting these substances from below the diaphragm through the chest to the neck is still obscure. It is usually conceded, for example, that surgical ligature of the duct at any point in its course is harmless and entirely without sequelae. This report clarifies the functional significance of the thoracic duct by tracing its evolutionary development to selection of a mechanism which pumps lymph into blood.
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DUMONT, A., RIFKIND, K. Evolutionary Significance of the Thoracic Duct. Nature 219, 1182–1183 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/2191182a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2191182a0
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