The spleen is a major lymphoid and blood filtration organ and is located in the left cranial abdomen. It is responsible for storing and removing erythrocytes from the blood as well as antigen surveillance of the blood and antibody production.
Development
The spleen develops in association with the digestive system in the dorsal mesogastrium, and as the stomach rotates during development the spleen comes to occupy the left cranial abdomen. Haematopoietic cells in the spleen are derived from the AGM (aorta-gonad-mesonephros) and yolk sac and as the primary lymphoid organs become established it becomes populated with T and B lymphocytes.
Structure
The spleen lies vertically on the left side of the cranial abdomen. It is attached to the greater curvature of the stomach by the gastrosplenic ligament. The spleen is covered in a enclosed in a capsule of fibrous and elastic tissue that extends into the parenchyma as trabeculae.
The parenchyma is supported by a fine mesh of reticular fibres and is divided into two types of tissue, the red and the white pulp. The red and white pulp are separated by the marginal sinus.
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