Question

If the spleen of a human is removed from the body then
a)Animal will die
b)Number of blood platelets will increase
c)Number of blood platelets will decrease
d)There will be no effect on the number of blood platelets

Answer 1

Hint: Spleen is considered to be the largest organ in our lymphatic system. It helps in keeping our body fluids balanced and also acts as a blood filter. Although, a person can possibly live without it.

Complete answer:
-Spleen stores red blood cells (acts as a reservoir for platelets) and it also contains white blood cells called lymphocytes and macrophages.
-It is a very useful organ but it is not vital -Spleen can also be the site of antibody production. This is the reason why removing the spleen may reduce the number of antiplatelet antibodies in addition to removing the antibody-coated platelets.
-Although the spleen is the major site of antibody-coated platelet destruction, platelets may also be removed from the circulation by the liver by a combination of the spleen and liver or within the bloodstream. Therefore removal of the spleen causes no effect on the number of blood platelets.
Additional information
Multiple roles are played by the spleen
- Helps in fighting certain bacteria causing pneumonia and meningitis.
-Spleen creates white blood cells called lymphocytes that act as a defender against harmful bacteria and viruses. Lymphocytes produce antibodies that kill these microorganisms and stop infections.
-Spleen helps in removing those cells which are abnormal, old, and damaged.

So, the correct answer is, "there will be no effect on the number of blood platelets".

Note: In maintaining the immune system special compounds are used called Opsonins.
1)Enlarged Spleen- It is the condition related to the enlargement of the spleen and also is known as splenomegaly. It may occur due to Bacterial infections, blood cancers, etc.
2) Sickle cell anemia- In this condition, the red blood cells become sickle-shaped resulting in blockage of the flow of blood due to less surface area thus damaging the organs like the spleen.
3) Thrombocytopenia-In this condition, many platelets are stored in the spleen resulting in its large area. So, there will be a negligible amount of platelets left with the body and blood will not get a clot.