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The lymphatic system is part of the vascular system comprising a network of lymphatic vessels that contain a clear fluid called lymph. Lymph is a fluid similar to plasma and contains lymphocytes, waste products and cellular debris, and, importantly, bacteria and proteins that stimulate immune responses. All interstitial spaces are drained by the lymphatic system, ensuring that wherever a foreign, potentially infectious pathogen enters the body, it will be swept away and deposited within a draining lymph node where antigen‐presenting cells and antigen‐specific T and B cells can initiate an immune response (Figure 2.1).