Now we will discuss major difference between blood and lymph
Blood and lymph: Blood mainly transports all materials from different parts of the body to other parts of the body. Lymphs carry different elements of the immune system. Blood performs the main circulatory function and lymph perform immune function in our body’s defence mechanism. Blood carries nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other materials. Lymphs carry lymphocyte, macrophages to check the entry of harmful external enemies to our body.
Blood is the element of the circulatory system. On the other hand lymph is the element of the lymphatic system. Blood continues to flow inside specific vessels, called blood vessels. Lymphs continue to flow inside separate vessels other than blood vessels, called lymph vessels. Capillaries for blood and lymph are different blood capillaries for blood and lymph capillaries for lymph.
Blood flows through blood vessels with the help of pumping activity of the heart. Lymph flows inside lymph vessels without any heart, though valves in the wall of Lymphatic vessels create pumping activity. Though this pumping activity of lymphatic vessels valve is not effective as that of heart in case of blood circulation, it creates enough pressure gradient to maintain unidirectional flow of lymph.
Two types of fluid present in our whole body tissues system. Fluids in between the cell are intracellular fluid and another one is extracellular fluid. Fluid in blood, lymph, Inside the canal of spinal cord and brain, Inside other body cavities are extracellular fluid. Both blood and lymph are examples of extracellular fluid. Extracellular fluids have high sodium level and low potassium level. But in the case of intracellular fluid opposite concentration gradients are observed.
Difference between blood and lymph comparison table:
| Blood | Lymph |
| Blood is reddish in appearance. | Lymph is colourless to light white in colour. |
| Blood is a component of the circulatory system. | Lymph is the major component of the first line of defence in our immunity system. |
| Carry nutrients, hormone, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other necessary materials for living cells and the material produced as a waste byproduct in cellular metabolic activity. | Carry elements of the immune system to enforce immune response in different tissues against outer harmful enemy microbes. |
| Blood contains plasma, more number of white blood cells and platelets. Differing lymph blood have high number of erythrocytes. | Lymphs contain mainly plasma. It has a lesser number of white blood cells and very few number of platelets. But it lacks erythrocytes different from blood. |
| Oxygen level is more than lymph. | Oxygen level is less than blood. |
| Carry more amount of digested food than lymph. | Carry less amount of digested food than blood. |
| Higher level of calcium and phosphorus than lymph. | Low level of calcium and phosphorus than blood. |
| Glucose level is low as compared to lymph. | Glucose levels are higher than blood. |
| Blood supplies nutrient material to different organs. | Lymphs recover extra nutrients which goes inside interstitial space but not absorbed by tissue. |
| Blood flows faster in the blood vessels as compared to lymph flow in lymphatic vessels. | Lymph flows at a slower rate as compared to blood flow in blood vessels. |
| Reach upto all tissue via blood capillaries. | Reach all tissue via lymph capillaries. |
| Pumping activity is very effective due to the presence of the heart. | Pumping activity is poor due to absence of heart, pumping activity via valve in the wall of lymphatic vessels. |
| As blood has a high level of fibrinogen as compared to lymph, so it clots at a faster rate as compared to lymph. | Fibrinogen level is very low as compared to blood which results in slow clot formation. |
| Blood flows inside the body in a circular manner. | Lymph flows in the body in a unidirectional manner. |
Similarities between blood and lymph:
Blood and lymph both are examples of extracellular fluid. In composition they have similarities in major cases. Though lymph performs immunity in major cases, blood also plays important roles in immune response.
Read More: Function of lymphatic system detailed study
Reference: Difference between blood and lymph
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