Parasympathetic nervous system act in a complementary way increasing or slowing the heart rate. In this context, the vagus nerve acts on sinoatrial node slowing its conduction thus actively modulating vagal tone accordingly. This modulation is mediated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and downstream changes to ionic currents and calcium of heart cells. The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in heart rate regulation by modulating the response of sinoatrial node, vagal tone can be quantified by investigating heart rate modulation induced by vagal tone changes. As a general consideration, increased vagal tone (and thus vagal action) is associated with a diminished and more
Lymph node and fixed macrophages. The subcapsular sinus has clinical importance as it is the most likely location where the earliest manifestations of a metastatic carcinoma in a lymph node would be found. The cortex of the lymph node is the outer portion of the node, underneath the capsule and the subcapsular sinus. It has an outer superficial part and a deeper part known as the paracortex. The subcapsular sinus drains to the trabecular sinuses, and then the lymph flows into the medullary sinuses. The outer cortex consists mainly of the B cells arranged as follicles, which may develop a germinal center