Lymph collected from a patient's left leg re-enters the bloodstream at which point?
AThe left subclavian vein
BThe right subclavian vein
CThe left jugular vein
DThe right lymphatic duct
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The left subclavian vein
1. The overall drainage system of the body is asymmetrical rather than a mirror image of itself.
2. The right lymphatic duct receives lymph from only the upper right side of the body, meaning the right side of the head, the right thorax and the right upper limb.
3. The remaining portions of the body, including both lower limbs, drain into the larger thoracic duct.
4. The thoracic duct begins just beneath the diaphragm at the cisterna chyli, which receives lymph from the lower abdomen, pelvis and lower limbs.
5. The thoracic duct then drains into the left subclavian vein, so that is where lymph from the left leg rejoins the blood.
6. The right subclavian vein takes only the right lymphatic duct, which never carries lower limb lymph.
7. The right lymphatic duct is itself a duct rather than the vein that receives the lymph, so it cannot be the endpoint asked for.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 21 "The Lymphatic and Immune System", section 21.1 Anatomy of the Lymphatic and Immune Systems_
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