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I just taught my student about the immune system in science class yesterday and I realized that not too many people know about or fully understand the lymphatic system. It is a system much like the circulatory system that consists of a series of tubes throughout your body. The whole system transports white blood cells around your body when it's fighting infection. It's like a highway for your immune system to mobilize against invading pathogens.

Unlike your circulatory system, which relies on the heart to pump fluids, the lymphatic system relies on your muscles to keep it flowing. The whole system is full of one way valves and when your muscles tighten around the vessels, it pushes liquid along these pathways and lets it move. If you lead a dormant lifestyle that doesn't involve a lot of muscular movements, your lymphatic system barely moves, and it takes a lot more time and effort to fight infections. While you need rest to recover from being sick, you can also help yourself to get better by doing a little light exercise every day to keep things moving.  

The best way to exercise AIDS immunity is to abstain or use a condom.

Wow this is right up there with when I called and said I was being held up at the bank and made someone thing I was being robbed. So the title should read something like "exercise facilitates immunity" but I'll just leave it as is. I hope someone gets a good laugh from it.  

good information there, mike. another HUGELY important factor in how well a lymph system works is how well hydrated the body is. not much can counteract the flow of lymph fluid as quickly as lack of, well, fluid.

many people know the feeling of "swollen lymph nodes" and recognize them of an indicator of ill health, but those nodes are really only one part of the system... i'd be interested in knowing more about swelling. is it from having to produce so many more white blood cells/process more fluid/work overtime during illness? or is it inflammation that leads to other illness? or sometimes one, sometimes the other? or something else altogether?!?

 I was reviewing a graduate school application for a volunteer at an HIV/AIDS organization, and found that she had written something about “…spreading HIV/AIDS information…” but there was a line break between “HIV/AIDS” and “information.” I recommended she never use “spreading” and “HIV/AIDS” in the same sentence, and change it to “disseminating.”