Lymphatic vessels are a system of microscopic tubes found throughout our body tissues that collect fluid that has leaked out of capillaries and needs to be returned to the bloodstream. They have thin walls, one cell thick, and scientists have been intrigued by the shapes of these cells, how they fit together and how they enable the movement of fluid into the vessels. Also, the vessels have to expand and contract in order to cope with everchanging volumes of fluid in the tissues without bursting.
The cells in lymphatic vessel walls have multilobe shapes, like oak leaves or jigsaw puzzle pieces. These cells are like cells on the surface of plant leaves, called puzzle cells, which have interlocking lobed shapes that enable the leaves to cope with fluid pressure changes needed for plant growth and structural support.
New techniques for imaging living cells have enabled scientists at the University of Helsinki to observe how living lymph vessel cells work. The cells do not just abut one another along their edges, like curved paving stones, but have some areas of overlap which can move over one another and allow fluid to flow through into the vessel. The new imaging techniques have also revealed that the cells actively change their shapes so that the area of overlap changes, enabling the vessels to expand and contract as the fluid pressure changes.
The scientists concluded the puzzle shaped cells result from “continuous remodelling of cellular overlaps that maintain vessel integrity while preserving permeable cell–cell contacts compatible with vessel expansion and fluid uptake.”
According to an article in PhysOrg, “The lobate appearance of both plant cells and mammalian lymphatic endothelial cells stands out as a distinctive feature among the diversity of cell shapes that have been observed in nature.” The article goes onto conclude: “This reveals a biological design principle that exists in very diverse species to increase structural stability.”
References: Nature Video 19 March 2025; PhysOrg 19 March 2025; ScienceDaily 20 March 2025; Nature 19March 2025 doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08724-6
Editorial Comment: You may have experienced the large changes in fluid volume and pressure that lymphatic vessels have to cope with when your feet and legs swell during a long plane flight. Ultimately this fluid is returned to your blood circulation via the lymphatic system. It was long thought that lymphatic vessels were passive collectors of fluid that relied solely on muscle movement to keep the fluid flowing, but recent studies such as the one described above have shown they are much more dynamic.
The lymphatic system is one of the unsung heroes of the body, and not just as a backup system for fluid collection. As well as tissue fluid it also conveys immune cells and proteins to places where they are needed. As part of the fluid returning system the fluid is passed through lymph nodes, which are concentrated masses of immune cells that will pick up invading microbes and abnormal cells. Thus, the lymphatic system also functions as a surveillance and repair system to help keep the body healthy.
Note how scientists and journalists cannot avoid the obvious – such a brilliant dynamic, structurally strong system that works in plants and people has to be designed. How sad if they will not acknowledge the Designer, whom they will ultimately have to face in judgement. We are very grateful for new techniques that help us understand how natural systems work, but this new knowledge should be directing scientists, and anyone interested in the world around them, to the Creator, who is Christ.
Creation Research News 14 April 2025
Were you helped by this item? If so, consider making a donation so we can keep sending out our newsletters and add more items to this archive. Donate here.