This exhibit shows the functions of the spleen that involve blood cleansing and lymphocyte production. Blood cleansing is the removal of debris, bacteria, toxins, foreign matter, and old defective blood cells from the blood. The lymphocyte production function includes growing, reproducing, and secreting white blood cells (WBC) and immunoglobulins in order to aid the immune system in fighting infections. These functions are seen in the enlarged inset depicting bacteria entering the spleen and phagocytes that reside in the spleen engulfing the bacteria.
