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harmonyb: 5 months ago

What does the spleen do?

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Answer 1

Estelle08: 5 months ago | Last edited at 6:46PM on 12/30/2012

It is the final step in the blood cleansing process. After the deoxygenated blood has passed through your liver, it goes to the spleen. It's like a microfilter (you can liken it to a micro-filter like the kidneys).

If you eat too many toxins (+smoke, drink, breathe polluted air etc.) and don't eliminate your toxins often enough (sweating, peeing it out) your spleen gets swollen, because it is 'annoyed' and having to work harder (like a heart, with heart disease).

The spleen is a very important organ (just like any other I suppose). I believe that after the blood cells leave the spleen, they head back up to the lungs to absorb (assimilate) some oxygen- then after that, head over to the heart to get pumped off to the rest of your body (I think it goes to the reight ventricle? can't remember that bit, soz)

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Estelle08: 5 months ago

It is located on the left-hand side of your body, just at the bottom of your ribcage, right over on the side of your body. It is because of it's location here (instead of the middle of the body), that it is healthier to sleep on your right hand side, to give it the opportunity to work better.

A healthy adult spleen is roughly the size of your clenched fist, a little smaller really, and is rather bean-shaped as well, like a kidney.

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Answer 2

crowtrobot: 5 months ago via Android

stores needed bacteria

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harmonyb: 5 months ago

Nice. Needed bacteria for what? I ask because I know that there are something like 52 natural healthy bacterias in the vagina, and that the live and active cultures found in yogurt are natural baterias that keep the vaginal bactriam healthy. So, the bacteria that the spleen stores, how is it distributed to the body and what parts is it distributed to?

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crowtrobot: 5 months ago via Android

it stores them and it isn't used unless other organs are destroyed,its a las resort

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crowtrobot: 5 months ago via Android

i was reading it just last night

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Im4u: 5 months ago via iPhone

A large, highly vascular lymphoid organ, lying in the human body to the left of the stomach below the diaphragm, serving to store blood, disintegrate old blood cells, filter foreign substances from the blood, and produce lymphocytes.

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harmonyb: 5 months ago

Thank you kindly for educating me :). My husband said that his kidneys hurt. So I said my spleen hurts. Naturally, it posed the question for both of us what the spleen does......

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Im4u: 5 months ago via iPhone

Looool

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Estelle08: 5 months ago

Oh, thanks @Im4u, I had just assumed lymphocytes were produced in the bone marrow along with WBC. Glad I learned something new today!

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Im4u: 5 months ago via iPhone

Any time :)

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Estelle08: 5 months ago

I just looked it up and apparently the bone marrow is the MAIN one, but the spleen also has the ability.
:) Thanks again, good to know.

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Answer 3

snafubar: 5 months ago

It participates in the creation of red blood cells and helps filter the blood and fight infection. Not a vital organ but has it's uses.

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Im4u: 5 months ago via iPhone

That's wrong I'm a doctor and the bone marrow is the RBC producer

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Estelle08: 5 months ago

I agree @Im4u! Just a filter, our good old spleen!

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snafubar: 5 months ago

The spleen stores iron that eventually returns to the bone marrow, where hemoglobin is made, so I would say the spleen participates in making of red blood cells since hemoglobin is important protein in our blood. I did NOT say the spleen produced RBCs.

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Estelle08: 5 months ago

Yeah, it participates, but then again, so does the liver. And the lungs reoxygenate the RBC to make them useable, so it's not the most relevant statement to apply to the spleen. Not trying to offend you at all, just saying.

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snafubar: 5 months ago

Okay so now you agree with both of us....lol...go figger. And I answered the question as asked.....didn't ask how relevant it is. We don't even need a spleen to survive.....it's nice to have one but not relevant to the bodies survival. I gave a short simple answer. Sorry if I didn't word it perfectly enough for everyone.

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Estelle08: 5 months ago

I wasn't tying to offend you :) You did make a true statement. I do agree.

It is a good organ to have for a highly functional and thriving body. It's basically the cherry on top of the excretory system, but again I agree, not necessarily a vital organ.

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Answer 4

Im4u: 5 months ago via iPhone

Destroys wasted Red blood cells it's called RBC RIP

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harmonyb: 5 months ago

Right on Doc. Thanks. :)

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Im4u: 5 months ago via iPhone

Your welcome :)

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