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The difference between blood and lymph occur in terms of their compositions and functions. Blood and lymph are two essential fluids in the human body.
- The blood flows in the circulatory system whereas lymph is present in the lymphatic system.
- Blood is made of red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), platelets (thrombocytes) and plasma.
- The lymph is made up of white blood cells (leukocytes) and a colourless watery fluid.
- Blood is a red colour fluid with red blood cells, while lymph is a colourless fluid without the red blood cells.
Key Terms: Blood, Lymph, Circulatory System, Lymphatic system, Red blood cells, Erythrocytes, White blood cells, Thrombocytes.
What is Blood?
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Blood is a special fluid in our body that transports oxygen and nutrients to the cells and tissues while removing waste products. Blood is an important component of circulation and performs many functions
- Blood helps to control the temperature of the body.
- It adjusts the water content of the cell.
- It prevents too much blood flow due to blood clotting.
- Blood also adjusts the pH by reacting with acids and bases.
- It is involved in the transport of hormones, nutrients, enzymes, carbon dioxide and other molecules to different parts of the body.
Components of Blood
The main components of the blood are red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.
- Plasma is the liquid component of blood carrying nutrients, hormones, and waste products.
- Red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues.
- White blood cells help in fighting infections and diseases.
- Platelets stop bleeding by forming clots.
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What is Lymph?
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Lymph is a colorless fluid with lymphocytes and white blood cells. Lymph is a part of the lymphatic system and is usually found in the lymphatic vessels and various cavities in the body. The lymphatic system is a network of vessels, nodes, and organs that maintain the fluid balance of the body and defend it against diseases. Lymphocytes identify and attack foreign invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. The main functions of the lymph are
- It distributes nutrients to different body tissues.
- Lymph eliminates metabolic wastes from the body.
- It maintains tissue fluid composition.
- It helps to penetrate pathogens that cause viral diseases.
- Lymph also absorbs fat-soluble vitamins and fat molecules from the small intestine through the lymphatic vessels.
Components of Lymph
The main components of lymph are:
- Lymph Plasma is a clear, yellowish fluid composed of water, electrolytes, proteins, glucose, and other nutrients.
- Lymph Corpuscles are the cells present in lymph – lymphocytes and monocytes. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that attack foreign invaders. Monocytes are white blood cells that engulf and digest foreign substances.
- Lymphoid Organs are the organs and tissues that produce and store lymphocytes. The main lymphoid organs are the bone marrow, thymus, lymph nodes, spleen, and tonsils.
Lymph
Difference between Blood and Lymph
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The major difference between blood and lymph are as given below:
| Blood | Lymph |
|---|---|
| Blood is a fluid that transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nutrients to all parts of the body and release excretory products | Lymph is a clear fluid without RBC that circulates via the lymphatic system to remove waste and toxins from the body. |
| The components of blood include plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. | The components of lymph include lymphatic fluid, lymphocytes, and lymphatic vessels. |
| The blood is red in color and is thicker than lymph. | Lymph is generally colourless or white and is thinner than blood. |
| Blood flows through a closed network of blood vessels and is pumped by the heart. | Lymph flows through the lymphatic vessels by the contraction of muscles and the movement of the body. |
| Blood carries nutrients and oxygen to different body organs. It brings back carbon dioxide and excretory products. | Lymph transports soluble fats, majority of vitamins, and other nutrients in the body. It carries excess fluids and some proteins to the main bloodstream. |
| It is made of mineral elements like calcium, iron, phosphorus and proteins. | It is made of proteins, calcium, and phosphorus, but not iron. |
| The purification of blood takes place in the kidneys in mammals. | The purification of lymph takes place in lymph nodes, which are situated in different parts of the body. |
| Blood clots quickly in emergency situations due to a special protein called fibrinogen. | Lymph clots slowly in comparison to blood due to the presence of a very small quantity of fibrinogen |
| The common blood diseases are polycythemia, thalassemia, and anaemia | The common lymph diseases are lymphedema, lymphoma, and lymphadenitis |
| Blood has hemoglobin that allows red blood cells to transport oxygen to the body's tissues. | Lymph has lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights infections. |
Things to Remember
- Blood and lymph are both important body fluids – but blood consists of RBC while lymph does not.
- The blood circulation system chiefly consists of blood, arteries, veins, and the heart.
- The lymphatic system consists of lymph, lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and lymph capillaries.
- The blood of mammals and human beings is red. Lymph is generally colourless or white’
- Blood always flows through the blood vessels and lymph through the lymphatic system.
- Blood constantly circulates through the body while the flow of lymph is driven by muscle contraction and body movement.
- The difference between blood and lympth is that blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to the cells while lymph defends the body against infections.
Sample Questions
Ques: What would be the result of deficiency of haemoglobin in human bodies? (2 Marks)
Ans: The consequence of deficiency of haemoglobin in our bodies is anaemia. People suffering from anaemia have less oxygen carrying capacity. This is a serious disease.
Ques: Name the type of different blood vessels that carry blood from body organs to the heart. (2 Marks)
Ans: The type of blood vessels, which carry blood from organs to the heart are called veins. They are generally blue in colour and situated in superficial layers of the body below the skin.
Ques: What is lymph? How is it different from blood in the body? (2 Marks)
Ans: Lymph is a body fluid without RBC that circulates via the lymphatic system in the body and takes back excess amounts of interstitial fluids and proteins to the main bloodstream. It is different from blood in the absence of RBC.
Ques: Differentiate between arteries and veins. (2 Marks)
Ans: Arteries carry blood away from the heart.Veins transport blood toward the heart. Arteries have thick and flexible walls have, whereas veins thinner walls but there are valves in them at a regular distance.
Ques: Write a function for each of the following constituents of the blood transport system in human beings - blood vessels, platelets, lymph, and heart (2 Marks)
Ans: The constituents of blood transport system in human beings has the following functions –
- Blood vessels: transport of blood.
- Blood platelets: clotting of blood.
- Lymph: carries digested fats and protects from infections.
- Heart: It pumps blood to different parts of the human body.
Ques: How are oxygen and carbon dioxide exchanged between blood and tissue? How are the gases transported in human beings? What is haemoglobin? (3 Marks)
Ans: a. Exchange of gases in tissues occurs through a process called diffusion. Oxygen is carried as oxyhaemoglobin in blood from the lungs to tissues. The complex molecule dissociates and carbon dioxide will be diffused out into blood from tissues. It once again is transported in a dissolved form and reaches the lungs where again it is diffused into alveoli.
- Haemoglobin is a red coloured protein complex present in red blood cells. The haemoglobin molecule has an affinity for O2.
Ques: (a) Mention any two components of blood.
(b) Write a sequence of the movement of oxygenated blood in the body.
(c) Write the main function of valves in between atria and ventricles.
(d) Write one difference between the arteries and veins. (3 Marks)
Ans: (a) The two components of blood are plasma, and blood cells.
(b) Lung → pulmonary vein → left atrium left → ventricle → aorta → arteries → all organs
(c) Valves prevent the backflow of blood from ventricles to atria when atria are contracting during blood flow.
(d) Arteries generally have thick, muscular and elastic walls. Veins generally have thinner, less muscular walls but have valves.
Ques: What are the different components of blood? Give the function of each of them. (5 Marks)
Ans: Blood is a fluid connective tissue in mammals (human beings). It is chiefly composed of a fluid matrix called plasma and blood cells: Plasma is of pale straw colour and transports many substances like carbon dioxide, glucose, amino acids, urea, hormones, etc. It has water, albumin, fibrinogen (a blood clotting protein) and other substances.
Blood cells are of three types: (1) Red blood corpuscles (R.B.C) or erythrocytes. They transport O2 and CO2. They are enucleated (without a nucleus), disc-shaped, and with haemoglobin molecules.
(2) White blood corpuscles (W.B.C) or leucocytes fight disease-causing microorganisms. They are larger, nucleated and of different types.
(3) Blood platelets or thrombocytes help in blood clotting. They are fragments without a nucleus.
Ques: Which is the blood component that is straw coloured fluid? What is its importance? (2 Marks)
Ans: The blood component is straw coloured fluid plasma. It consists of other components of the blood. It transports many substances like carbon dioxide, glucose, amino acids, urea, hormones, etc.
Ques: What is the role of the lymphatic system in the body? (3 Marks)
Ans: The lymphatic system carries blood minus red blood cells from the intestine to the largest gland, the liver before the blood is drained into the body circulation. It has the following important functions:
- The blood from the alimentary canal or digestive system is rich in substances like glucose, amino acids, and other important nutrients. Excessive amounts of glucose and fats are actually used and stored by the liver which is useful during starvation.
- It helps in the conversion of toxic ammonia into urea. Urea is later excreted by the kidney
- The liver generates clotting proteins such as fibrinogen. They will be moved into the bloodstream
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