The Lymphatic and Immune Systems
The lymphatic system is responsible for the removal of excess fluids from body tissues and for the production of immune cells. Working in conjunction with the lymphatic system is the immune system, a collection of mechanisms within the body that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. In this Web guide, we recommend online resources to learn about (or teach) the lymphatic and the immune systems for every level of expertise and interest.
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Lymphatic and Immune System Basics
Wondering how your body fights off and protects you from disease and infection? Looking to learn ... read more »
Lymphatic and Immune Systems for Kids
If your son wants to know why the glands in his neck hurt, or you and your child are wondering why ... read more »
Advanced Immune System Resources
Immune disorders are quite common and often deadly. If you’re looking for highly technical information about the intimately related lymphatic and immune systems, this section will direct you to the best Web sites.
Dulcinea's Insight
- There are many excellent peer-reviewed lymphology and immunology journals that cover the latest research on a broad array of topics. Among them are Lymphatic Research and Biology, Lymphology, The Journal of Immunology, Nature Immunology, and European Journal of Immunology. However, as with most journals, full-text access to articles in these publications requires paid subscriptions. One notable exception is the renowned British journal Immunology, which offers free access to all full-text articles in its archive ranging from 1958 through 2007.
- To ensure that the information on the site is still accurate and relevant, it’s a good idea to check the date (usually at the bottom of the page) to ensure that it was written or updated relatively recently. The sites we recommend in this section are all up to date.
Dulcinea's Picks
Western Kentucky University
offers the vast majority of lectures from its introductory course on the mammalian immune system online. Peruse the syllabus to link directly to the lecture topic you’re interested in. Outlines of the entire semester of lectures are also available here.
Miami University of Ohio
includes nearly all of its lecture notes—in outline form—from a senior-level immunology course. The outlines are information-intensive and highly technical.
Kimball’s Biology Pages
gives a concise overview of the lymphatic system that includes several cross-references to other discussions that are exceedingly technical and include numerous cross-references of their own. This site is, therefore, suitable to the researcher or professional seeking to delve deeply into this—and related—subject matters.







