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Lymph capillary
 
 
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Lymph capillaries or lymphatic capillaries are tiny thin-walled blood vessel
Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the artery, which carry the blood away from the heart, the capillary, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from...
s that are closed at one end and are located in the spaces between cells throughout the body, except in the central nervous system
Central nervous system

The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that functions to coordinate the activity of all parts of the bodies of multicellular organisms....
, and in non-vascular tissues. The main purpose of these vessels is to drain excess tissue fluids from around the cell ready to be filtered and returned to the venous circulation. This tissue fluid upon entering the lumen
Lumen (anatomy)

A lumen in biology is the inside space of a tubular structure, such as an artery or intestine. By extension, a lumen can also be the inside space of a cellular component or structure, such as the endoplasmic reticulum....
 (elongated cavity of any fluid) is known as the lymph
Lymph

Lymph is the fluid that is formed as the interstitial fluid. It enters the lymph vessels by filtration. The lymph then travels to at least one lymph node before emptying ultimately into the right or the left subclavian vein, where it mixes back with blood....
.

Lymphatic capillaries are slightly larger in diameter than blood capillaries and have a unique structure that permits interstitial fluid
Interstitial fluid

Interstitial fluid is a solution which bathes and surrounds the cells of multicellular animals. It is the main component of the extracellular fluid, which also includes Blood plasma and transcellular fluid....
 to flow into them but not out.






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Lymph capillaries or lymphatic capillaries are tiny thin-walled blood vessel
Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the artery, which carry the blood away from the heart, the capillary, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from...
s that are closed at one end and are located in the spaces between cells throughout the body, except in the central nervous system
Central nervous system

The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that functions to coordinate the activity of all parts of the bodies of multicellular organisms....
, and in non-vascular tissues. The main purpose of these vessels is to drain excess tissue fluids from around the cell ready to be filtered and returned to the venous circulation. This tissue fluid upon entering the lumen
Lumen (anatomy)

A lumen in biology is the inside space of a tubular structure, such as an artery or intestine. By extension, a lumen can also be the inside space of a cellular component or structure, such as the endoplasmic reticulum....
 (elongated cavity of any fluid) is known as the lymph
Lymph

Lymph is the fluid that is formed as the interstitial fluid. It enters the lymph vessels by filtration. The lymph then travels to at least one lymph node before emptying ultimately into the right or the left subclavian vein, where it mixes back with blood....
.

Lymphatic capillaries are slightly larger in diameter than blood capillaries and have a unique structure that permits interstitial fluid
Interstitial fluid

Interstitial fluid is a solution which bathes and surrounds the cells of multicellular animals. It is the main component of the extracellular fluid, which also includes Blood plasma and transcellular fluid....
 to flow into them but not out. The ends of endothelial cells that make up the wall of a lymphatic capillary overlap. When pressure is greater in the interstitial fluid than in lymph, the cells separate slightly, like the opening of a one-way swinging door, and interstitial fluid enters the lymphatic capillary. When pressure is greater inside the lymphatic capillary, the cells adhere more closely, and lymph cannot escape back into interstitial fluid. Attached to the lymphatic capillaries are anchoring filaments, which contain elastic fibers. They extend out from the lymphatic capillary, attaching lymphatic endothelial cells to surrounding tissues. Lymph capillaries have a greater oncotic pressure
Oncotic pressure

Oncotic pressure, or colloid osmotic pressure, is a form of osmotic pressure exerted by proteins in blood plasma that usually tends to pull water into the circulatory system....
, which is due to the greater concentration of plasma proteins in the lymph.

The lymphatic capillary becomes the afferent lymphatic vessel and carries the lymph into a lymph node
Lymph node

A Lymph node is an organ consisting of many types of cells, and is a part of the lymphatic system. Lymph nodes are found all through the body, and act as filters or traps for foreign particles....
.

When excess interstitial fluid
Interstitial fluid

Interstitial fluid is a solution which bathes and surrounds the cells of multicellular animals. It is the main component of the extracellular fluid, which also includes Blood plasma and transcellular fluid....
 accumulates and causes tissue swelling, the anchoring filaments are pulled, making the openings between cells even larger so that more fluid can flow into the lymphatic capillary.