spleen
Spleen
Laparoscopic view of a horse's spleen (the purple and grey mottled organ)
Latin	splen, lien
Gray's	subject #278 1282
Artery	Splenic artery
Vein	Splenic vein
Nerve	Splenic plexus
Precursor	Mesenchyme of dorsal mesogastrium
MeSH	Spleen
Dorlands/Elsevier	Spleen

The spleen (from Greek σπλήν - splēn^[1]) is an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, the spleen acts primarily as a blood filter. As such, it is a non-vital organ, with a healthy life possible after removal. The spleen plays important roles in regard to red blood cells (also referred to as erythrocytes) and the immune system.^[2] In humans, it is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock while also recycling iron. As a part of the mononuclear phagocyte system, it metabolizes hemoglobin removed from senescent erythrocytes. The globin portion of hemoglobin is degraded to its constitutive amino acids, and the heme portion is metabolized to bilirubin, which is subsequently shuttled to the liver for removal.^[3] It synthesizes antibodies in its white pulp and removes antibody-coated bacteria along with antibody-coated blood cells by way of blood and lymph node circulation. The spleen is brownish.^[3][4] Recently, it has been found to contain in its reserve half of the body's monocytes within the red pulp.^[5] These monocytes, upon moving to injured tissue (such as the heart), turn into dendritic cells and macrophages while promoting tissue healing.^[5][6][7] It is one of the centers of activity of the reticuloendothelial system and can be considered analogous to a large lymph node, as its absence leads to a predisposition toward certain infections.^[8]

Anatomy[link]

The spleen, in healthy adult humans, is approximately 11 centimetres (4.3 in) in length. It usually weighs between 150 grams (5.3 oz)^[9] and 200 grams (7.1 oz).^[10] An easy way to remember the anatomy of the spleen is the 1x3x5x7x9x11 rule. The spleen is 1" by 3" by 5", weighs approximately 7 oz, and lies between the 9th and 11th ribs on the left hand side.

Like the thymus, the spleen possesses only efferent lymphatic vessels. The spleen is part of the lymphatic system. Both the short gastric arteries and the splenic artery supply it with blood.^[11]

The germinal centers are supplied by arterioles called penicilliary radicles.^[12]

The spleen is unique in respect to its development within the gut. While most of the gut viscera are endodermally derived (with the exception of the neural-crest derived suprarenal gland), the spleen is derived from mesenchymal tissue.^[13] Specifically, the spleen forms within, and from, the dorsal mesentery. However, it still shares the same blood supply — the celiac trunk — as the foregut organs.

Function[link]

Micrograph of splenic tissue showing the red pulp (red), white pulp (blue) and a thickened inflamed capusule (mostly pink - top of image). H&E stain.

Other functions of the spleen are less prominent, especially in the healthy adult:

• Production of opsonins, properdin, and tuftsin.
• Creation of red blood cells. While the bone marrow is the primary site of hematopoiesis in the adult, the spleen has important hematopoietic functions up until the fifth month of gestation. After birth, erythropoietic functions cease, except in some hematologic disorders. As a major lymphoid organ and a central player in the reticuloendothelial system, the spleen retains the ability to produce lymphocytes and, as such, remains an hematopoietic organ.
• Storage of red blood cells, lymphocytes and other formed elements. In horses, roughly 30% of the red blood cells are stored there. The red blood cells can be released when needed.^[14] In humans, up to a cup (236.5ml) of red blood cells can be held in the spleen and released in cases of hypovolemia.^[15] It can store platelets in case of an emergency. Up to a quarter of lymphocytes can be stored in the spleen at any one time.
• In mice, the spleen stores half the body's monocytes so that upon injury they can migrate to the injured tissue and transform into dendritic cells and macrophages and so assist wound healing.^[5]

Effect of removal[link]

Surgical removal causes:^[6]

• modest increases in circulating white blood cells and platelets,
• diminished responsiveness to some vaccines,
• increased susceptibility to infection by bacteria and protozoa; in particular, there is an increased risk of sepsis from polysaccharide encapsulated bacteria.

A 28-year follow-up of 740 veterans of World War II who had their spleens removed on the battlefield found that those who had been splenectomized showed a significant excess of mortality from pneumonia (6 rather than the expected 1.3) and a significant excess of mortality from ischemic heart disease (4.1 rather than the expected 3) but not from other conditions.^[16]

Disorders[link]

Disorders include splenomegaly, where the spleen is enlarged for various reasons, such as cancer, specifically blood-based leukemias, and asplenia, where the spleen is not present or functions abnormally

Etymology and cultural views[link]

The word spleen comes from the Greek σπλήν, and is the idiomatic equivalent of the heart in English, i.e. to be good-spleened (εὔσπλαγχνος) means to be good-hearted or compassionate.^[17]

In English the word spleen was customary during the period of the 18th century. Authors like Richard Blackmore or George Cheyne employed it to characterise the hypocondriacal and hysterical affections.^[18][19] William Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar uses the spleen to describe Cassius' irritable nature. "Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch Under your testy humour? By the gods You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, When you are waspish."^[20]

In French, "splénétique" refers to a state of pensive sadness or melancholy. It has been popularized by the poet Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867) but was already used before in particular to the Romantic literature (19th century). The word for the organ is "la rate."

The connection between spleen (the organ) and melancholy (the temperament) comes from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks. One of the humours (body fluid) was the black bile, secreted by the spleen organ and associated with melancholy. In contrast, the Talmud (tractate Berachoth 61b) refers to the spleen as the organ of laughter while possibly suggesting a link with the humoral view of the organ. In the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England, women in bad humour were said to be afflicted by the spleen, or the vapours of the spleen. In modern English, "to vent one's spleen" means to vent one's anger, e.g. by shouting, and can be applied to both males and females. Similarly, the English term "splenetic" is used to describe a person in a foul mood.

Variation among vertebrates[link]

In cartilagenous and ray-finned fish it consists primarily of red pulp and is normally a somewhat elongated organ as it actually lies inside the serosal lining of the intestine. In many amphibians, especially frogs, it takes on the more rounded form and there is often a greater quantity of white pulp.^[21]

In reptiles, birds, and mammals, white pulp is always relatively plentiful, and in the latter two groups, the spleen is typically rounded, although it adjusts its shape somewhat to the arrangement of the surrounding organs. In the great majority of vertebrates, the spleen continues to produce red blood cells throughout life; it is only in mammals that this function is lost in the adult. Many mammals possess tiny spleen-like structures known as haemal nodes throughout the body, which, it is presumed, have the same function as the spleen proper.^[21] The spleens of aquatic mammals are in some ways dissimilar to those of fully land-dwelling mammals. In general, the spleens of aquatic mammals are bluish in colour. In cetaceans and manatees it tends to be quite small, but in deep diving pinnipeds it can be quite massive, owing to its function of storing red blood cells.

The only vertebrates lacking a spleen are the lampreys and hagfishes. Even in these animals, there is a diffuse layer of haematopoeitic tissue within the gut wall, which has a similar structure to red pulp, and is presumed to be homologous with the spleen of higher vertebrates.^[21]

See also[link]

• Marginal zone

Additional images[link]

• 

  The celiac artery and its branches.

• 

  The celiac artery and its branches.

• 

  Horizontal disposition of the peritoneum in the upper part of the abdomen.

• 

  Transverse section through the middle of the first lumbar vertebra.

• 

  The duodenum and pancreas.

• 

  The visceral surface of the spleen.

• 

  Transverse section of the spleen, showing the trabecular tissue and the splenic vein and its tributaries.

• 

  Transverse section of the human spleen, showing the distribution of the splenic artery and its branches.

• 

  Section of the spleen, showing the termination of the small blood vessels.

• 

  Back of lumbar region, showing surface markings for kidneys, ureters, and spleen.

• 

  Side of thorax, showing surface markings for bones, lungs (purple), pleura (blue), and spleen (green).

• 

  Lymphatic system

• 

  Spleen

• 

  Spleen (lien)

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up spleen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Spleen

• SUNY Figs 38:03-01 - "The visceral surface of the spleen."
• SUNY Anatomy Image 7881
• "spleen" from Encyclopædia Britannica Online
• Spleen and Lymphatic System, Kidshealth.org (American Academy of Family Physicians)
• Spleen Diseases from MedlinePlus
• "Finally, the Spleen Gets Some Respect" New York Times piece on the spleen

Enrico Rava
Enrico Rava in 2005
Background information
Born	(1939-08-20) 20 August 1939 (age 72)
Genres	Jazz
Instruments	Trumpet
Years active	1960s–present
Labels	ECM, Duck, Label Bleu, others
Website	EnricoRava.com

Enrico Rava (born 20 August 1939 in Trieste, Italy), is a prolific jazz trumpeter and arguably one of the best known Italian jazz musicians. He originally played trombone, changing to the trumpet after hearing Miles Davis. His first commercial work was as a member of Gato Barbieri's Italian quintet in the mid-1960s; in the late 1960s he was a member of Steve Lacy's group. In 1967 Rava moved to New York City, and one month later became a member of the group Gas Mask, a group that had one LP on Tonsil Records in 1970. He has played with artists such as Carla Bley, Jeanne Lee, Paul Motian, Lee Konitz and Roswell Rudd. Chiefly an exponent of bebop jazz, Enrico Rava has also played successfully in avant-garde settings. His style may partly recall Kenny Wheeler's in its spareness and lightness of tone, albeit Rava's is harmonically simpler.

In the 1970s and 1980s he worked with Pat Metheny, Michel Petrucciani, John Abercrombie, Joe Henderson, Richard Galliano, Miroslav Vitouš, Andrea Centazzo, Joe Lovano, Gil Evans and Cecil Taylor.

With trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded a series of four CDs on the influence of Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Miles Davis (Bix, Pop, Shades of Chet, Play Miles Davis). Also of note are his recordings Rava, L'Opera Va' and Carmen; his own interpretations of operatic arias and overtures. In 2001, he founded a new quintet with pianist Stefano Bollani, and toured with Gato Barbieri and Aldo Romano. In the trio Europeans he is working with German bass-player Eberhard Weber and Swiss percussionist Reto Weber.

Discography[link]

As leader[link]

• Il Giro Del Giorno in 80 Mondi (Black Saint, 1972)
• Quotation Marks. JAPO. 1973. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r152476. 
• Katcharpari (MPS/BASF, 1973)^[1]
• The Pilgrim and the Stars (ECM, 1975)
• The Plot (ECM, 1976)
• Enrico Rava Quartet (ECM, 1978)
• <<Ah>>. ECM. 1979. http://www.discogs.com/release/488771. 
• Opening Night. ECM. 1981. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r152477. 
• Andanada. Soul Note. 1983. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r300067. 
• String Band. Soul Note. 1984. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r69968. 
• Nexus Meets Enrico Rava. Four Leaf Clover. 1985. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r146052. 
• Secrets. Soul Note. 1986. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r163373. 
• Volver (ECM, 1986) with Dino Saluzzi
• Animals. Inak. 1987. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r163372. 
• Nausicaa. EGEA. 1993. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r617122.  w/ Enrico Pieranunzi
• Rava, L'Opera Va. Blue. 1993. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r484668. 
• For Bix and Pops. Philology. 1994. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r377348. 
• Electric Five. Soul Note. 1994. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r223582.  w/ Gianluigi Trovesi
• Italian Ballads. Music Masters. 1996. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r276582.  w/ Richard Galliano
• Noir. JMS. 1997. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r912117. 
• Carmen. Label Bleu. 1997. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r318773. 
• Certi Angoli Segreti. Label Bleu. 1998. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r484351. 
• Shades of Chet. Via Veneto Jazz. 1999. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r474342. 
• Rava Plays Rava. Philology. 1999. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r534054. 
• Live at Birdland Neuberg. Challenge Records. 2000. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r487903. 
• Duo en Noir. Between the Lines. 2000. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r473048.  w/ Ran Blake
• Beyond Fellini. WEA/Warner. 2002. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1002136. 
• Renaissance. Venus Records. 2003. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1002135. 
• Happiness Is.... Stunt Records. 2003. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r912118. 
• Full of Life. CamJazz. 2003. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r657198. 
• Easy Living (ECM, 2003)
• Montreal Diary/A: Plays Miles Davis. Label Bleu. 2004. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r689347. 
• Montréal Diary/B. Label Bleu. 2004. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r689348.  w/ Stefano Bollani
• Tati (ECM, 2004)
• Chanson. Duck Records. 2006. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1199381. 
• What a Day. Duck Records. 2006. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1192356. 
• Quatre. Duck Records. 2006. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1199382. 
• The Words and the Days (ECM, 2007)
• The Third Man (ECM, 2007)
• Live at JazzBo '90. Philology. 2007. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1069625. 
• New York Days(ECM, 2009)
• Tribe (ECM, 2010)

As sideman[link]

This section requires expansion.

With Jimmy Lyons

• Give It Up (Black Saint, 1985)

With Archie Shepp

• Little Red Moon (Soul Note, 1985)

References[link]

External links[link]

• EnricoRava.com, official web site
• Discography
• Review of The Words and the Days at JazzChicago.net

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2010)

Richard Galliano
Galliano performing in Stockholm in July 2009
Background information
Born	(1950-12-12) 12 December 1950 (age 61) France
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Accordion, trombone, piano, bandoneón
Years active	1964–
Associated acts	Claude Nougaro
Website	Galliano's home page

Photo by Andrea Colombara

Richard Galliano (born December 12, 1950, Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French accordionist.^[1]

Biography[link]

He was drawn to music at an early age, starting with the accordion at 4,^[2] influenced by his father Lucien, an accordionist originally from Italy, living in Nice.

After a long and intense period of study (he took up lessons on the trombone, harmony, and counterpoint at the Academy of Music in Nice), at 14, in a search to expand his ideas on the accordion, he began listening to jazz and heard on records the great trumpet player Clifford Brown. "I copied all the choruses of Clifford Brown, impressed by his tone and his drive, his way of phrasing over the thunderous playing of Max Roach." Fascinated by this new world, Richard was amazed that the accordion had never been part of this musical adventure.

Some later collaborations include George Mraz, Brigitte Fontaine, Al Foster, Juliette Greco, Charles Aznavour, Ron Carter, Chet Baker, Enrico Rava, Martial Solal, Miroslav Vitouš, Trilok Gurtu, Jan Garbarek, Michel Petrucciani, Michel Portal, Eddy Louiss, Ivan Paduart, Anouar Brahem, Wynton Marsalis, and Toots Thielemans. He was a key member of Claude Nougaro's band for several years as a pianist and accordionist.

Discography[link]

As leader[link]

• Flyin' the Coop (1991), with Jimmy Gourley, 52e Rue Est
• New Musette (1991), with Pierre Michelot, Phillip Catherine, Aldo Romano
• Viaggio (1993), with Charles Bellonzi, Pierre Michelot and Bireli Lagrene
• Laurita (1995), with Palle Danielsson and Joey Baron, and guests Michel Portal, Toots Thielemans and Didier Lockwood
• New York Tango (1996), with Bireli Lagrene, George Mraz and Al Foster
• Panmanhattan (re-release) (1996), with Ron Carter
• Blow Up (1997), with clarinet, soprano saxophone and bandoneon player Michel Portal
• French Touch (1998), with Michel Portal, Jean-François Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair (first session; May 1998), and André Ceccarelli, Remi Vignolo and J. M. Ecay (second session; June 1998)
• Spleen (1999)
• Passatori (1999)
• Gallianissimo!—The best of Richard Galliano (2001)
• Face to Face (2001), with organist Eddy Louiss
• Piazzolla Forever (2003), with string quartet, piano and double bass
• Concerts (2004), with Michel Portal
• Ruby, My Dear (2005), with Larry Grenadier and Clarence Penn, as the New York Trio
• Luz Negra (2006)
• Mare Nostrum (2007), with Jan Lundgren and Paolo Fresu
• L'Hymne a l'amour (2007), with Gary Burton, George Mraz, Clarence Penn
• Love Day (2008)

As sideman[link]

With Anouar Brahem

• Khomsa (ECM, 1994)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Galliano's home page