Lymphatic
vessel,
arteriole and venule
(100x objective lens)
High magnification image of a section from the connective tissue of the lip,
showing an arteriole (to the left), a
venule (center) and a lymphatic
vessel (to the right). The wall of
the lymphatic vessel is very thin and composed by endothelial cells whose
nuclei can be seen to bulge into the lumen of the vessel. Here it is possible
to distinguish the lymphatic vessel from its neighbors by (1) its irregular
shape, as opposed to the circular/cylindrical appearance of the blood vessels;
and (2) the absence of the red blood cells that are seen in the lumen of the
blood vessels.
