It helps ward off infections and maintains body-fluid balance. In addition to filtering blood through pulp-like tissue, the spleen also houses two very important types of immunity-related white blood cells: lymphocytes and phagocytes. Some of the spleen’s other functions include: Cleaning impurities from the blood.
The spleen is an organ in the upper far left part of the abdomen, to the left of the stomach. The spleen varies in size and shape between people, but it’s commonly fist-shaped, purple, and about 4 inches long. Because the spleen is protected by the rib cage, you can’t easily feel it unless it’s abnormally enlarged.
Overview. The spleen is part of your body’s lymphatic system. The lymphatic system helps remove cellular waste, maintain fluid balance, and make and activate infection-fighting white blood cells for the immune system.