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I'm your spleen. I'm a purplish-red organ shaped like a loose fist and located in the upper-left part of your abdominal cavity. I have been called "the most ignored and misunderstood of all organs." In ancient times, people believed I was the seat of the emotions, but actually I am an integral part of your immune system. My job description includes: - filtering out foreign organisms that infect your blood
- removing your old or damaged platelets and red blood cells
- storing extra blood and releasing it as needed
- forming some types of white blood cells
If I become injured or diseased, I may
have to be removed through a medical procedure called a splenectomy. About 1% of the population is spleenless. You can live without me (although important, I am not a vital organ), but your resistance to infection will be lowered, at least initially. Although I like to think of myself as irreplaceable, eventually some of your other organs like the liver (a real team player), will take over my responsibilities.
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