Your lymphatic system is a huge part of your  circulatory system. However, unlike your veins, the lymphatic system has no central pump (i.e. your heart). It is made up of hundreds of lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and lymphatic capillaries spread throughout the body. The lymph vessels generally parallel your body’s arteries and veins. The lymph vessels collect and return excess fluid from all over the body, filter and concentrate it, and then return it back into the blood circulation.

Lymph nodes help filter bacteria and other toxins from your body by trapping harmful organisms and using specialized white blood cells to destroy them. These lymph vessels are equipped with valves that make sure fluid can be easily transported. Lymph fluid transport is aided by  breathing and muscle contractions.