Spleen: Function, Location & Problems

abdomen, spleen — The spleen is located on the left side of the abdomen, under the ribs.

(Image credit: Sebastian Kaulitzki | Shutterstock)

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The spleen is the largest organ in the lymphatic system. It is an important organ for keeping bodily fluids balanced, but it is possible to live without it, according to Mayo Clinic.

The spleen is located under the ribcage and above the stomach in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. A spleen is soft and generally looks reddish purple, according to StatPearls, a database of medical reference articles. It is made up of two different types of tissue. According to Britannica, the red pulp tissue filters the blood and gets rid of old or damaged red blood cells. The white pulp tissue consists of immune cells (T cells and B cells) and helps the immune system fight infection.

"The spleen acts as a blood filter; it controls the amount of red blood cells and blood storage in the body, and helps to fight infection," said Jordan Knowlton, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. If the spleen detects potentially dangerous bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms in the blood, it — along with the lymph nodes — creates white blood cells called lymphocytes, which act as defenders against invaders, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The lymphocytes produce antibodies to kill the foreign microorganisms and stop infections from spreading.

According to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, when blood flows into the spleen, red blood cells must pass through narrow passages within the organ. Healthy blood cells can easily pass, but old or damaged red blood cells are broken down by large white blood cells. The spleen will save any useful components from the old blood cells, including iron, so they can be reused in new cells. The blood vessels in the spleen can expand in order to store blood, UPMC reported. They widen or narrow, depending on the body's needs. This allows the spleen can hold up to a cup of reserve blood.

According to Knowlton, spleen lacerations or ruptures "usually occur from trauma (like a car accident or contact sports)." These emergency situations cause a break in the spleen's surface and can lead to "severe internal bleeding and signs of shock (fast heart rate, dizziness, pale skin, fatigue)," said Knowlton. The Mayo Clinic reported that without emergency care, the internal bleeding could become life-threatening.

An enlarged spleen, also called a splenomegaly, is a serious but typically treatable condition. "An enlarged spleen puts one at risk for rupture," said Knowlton. According to the Mayo Clinic, anyone can get an enlarged spleen, but children suffering from mononucleosis, adults with certain inherited metabolic disorders including Gaucher's and Neimann-Pick disease, and people who live or travel to malaria-endemic areas are more at risk.

Cancers that originate in the spleen are relatively rare. When they do occur, they are almost always lymphomas, blood cancers that occur in the lymphatic system. Usually lymphomas start in other areas and invade the spleen. According to the National Cancer Institute, adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma can have a spleen stage. This type of spleen invasion can also happen with leukemia, blood cancer that originates in bone marrow. Rarely, other types of cancers — like lung or stomach cancers — will invade the spleen, according to the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology.

"You can live without a spleen because other organs, such as the liver and lymph nodes, can take over the duties of the spleen," said Knowlton. Nevertheless, removing the spleen can have serious consequences. "You will be more at risk to develop infections," said Knowlton. Often, doctors recommend getting vaccines, including a pneumococcus vaccine, Haemophilus B vaccine, Meningococcal vaccine, and yearly flu vaccine after a splenectomy, according to University of Michican Hospitals and Health Centers. It is important to see a doctor at the first sign of infection if you do not have a spleen.

Jessie Szalay is a contributing writer to FSR Magazine. Prior to writing for Live Science, she was an editor at Living Social. She holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree in sociology from Kenyon College.

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