Swollen lymph nodes are scary, I know, but there’s some REALLY cool stuff that goes down here, and you should totally know about it. I’ve touched on the smooth muscle that lines our lymphatic vessels. They contract and move our lymph when we’re at rest. It’s realllllllyyyy slowwwww when we’re at rest (much more when we’re active/moving) about the same tempo as our cerebral spinal fluid which is about 8-12x per minute but LECs....these dudes are super neat. Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) line our blood and lymph vessels. They’re everywhere and they are SMART. Theoretically the LECs should keep the wheels greased and slippery (to prevent plaque accumulation) in our arteries and kinda tell our lymphatic system what to do...and when. HOW to respond at any moment of change; in temperature, elevation, emotion— you name it. They’re always observing, making subtle changes as needed to keep things moving. This is how the communication of lymphatic flow needs are met. Within the lymphatic vessels that transport white blood cells of our immune system, this communication is especially important. It’s how Nodia knows what needs to be done when our lymph is carrying a heavier load, say an infection. She seals the gate to give opportunity to our immune cells so they can do their job within the node and hopefully neutralize the threat. And by neutralize I mean ANNIHILATIONNNNN!!! Nodia is pretty ruthless... Afferent (think “arrive”) vessels bring things towards, and efferent (think “exit”) take things away. Because these are anatomical terms for our blood/lymph/neurons, you may hear them used elsewhere. Anyway, swollen lymph node lesson summary: Nodia gets larger to allow for cell division within the node and she cuts the escape hatch to make it happen. Easy peasy 🍋 🤏🏾!! Did you know?!? The more you know, the more you FLOW my dudes and dudettes.