Chapter 1
The body's ultimate recycling center
Chapter 2
The immune system's command center
Chapter 3
The spleen across history and nature
Chapter 4
Life without a spleen
YOUR GOAL
Master of The human spleen
Ch 1 · The body's ultimate recycling center
artiteacher The body's ultimate recycling center
Squeeze through slits, / Recycle the iron, / Refresh the blood!
artiteacher When the spleen breaks down old red blood cells, it salvages and recycles their precious iron.
artiteacher The spleen acts as a strict quality control inspector, filtering out and destroying worn-out red blood cells.
BETA
artiteacher Swipe away damaged blood cells to learn how the spleen filters your bloodstream.
Fun Fact
Spleen blood storage: Human spleens contract during holding-breath dives, releasing stored red blood cells to boost oxygen by up to 10 percent.
Glossary
spleen (noun)
An abdominal organ involved in the production and removal of blood cells in most vertebrates. Located behind the left ribs, this organ recycles iron from blood cells after their 120-day lifecycle.
An abdominal organ involved in the production and removal of blood cells in most vertebrates. Located behind the left ribs, this organ recycles iron from blood cells after their 120-day lifecycle.
Quiz
Which protein transports recycled iron from the spleen back to the bone marrow?