Body System2 connections · 1 source

Spleen

A vital organ in the lymphatic system responsible for filtering blood, recycling iron, and mounting immune responses.

Key Facts

It contains macrophages that recognize and phagocytose antibody-coated red blood cells.
Excessive splenic clearance of parasitized cells is the primary mechanism driving hemolytic anemia.
The organ recycles iron from destroyed red blood cells for use in new erythropoiesis.
Splenic enlargement may develop in chronic cases due to increased workload and immune activity.

The spleen's immune response to the attached mycoplasma organisms triggers the pathological destruction of host cells.

Overactive splenic filtration of infected red blood cells directly reduces circulating red blood cell counts.