Marginal zone
part of the spleen
The marginal zone is the region at the interface between the non-lymphoid red pulp and the lymphoid white-pulp of the spleen. (Some sources consider it to be the part of red pulp which borders on the white pulp, while other sources consider it to be neither red pulp nor white pulp.)
A marginal zone also exists in the lymphoid follicles of lymph nodes. Those marginal zones contain naive B cells and memory B cells. In contrast to the marginal zone of the spleen, they are not characterized by containing additional non-recirculating B2 cells.
Structure
It is composed of cells derived primarily from the myeloid compartment of bone marrow differentiation. More recently, a population of neutrophil-killers has been described to populate peripheral areas of the marginal zone.
At least three distinct cellular markers can be used to identify cells of the marginal zone, MOMA-1, ERTR-9 and MARCO.
Blood flow
The marginal zone (MZ) is a highly transited area that receives large amounts of blood from the general circulation. Remarkably, the splenic microvasculature shows striking differences in mice and humans. In humans, the spleen receives blood from the splenic artery, which branches into central and penicillar arterioles. Owing to the absence of a histologically defined marginal sinus, the blood flowing in penicillar arterioles directly drains into capillaries of the red pulp and perifollicular zone.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Marginal zone” as part of the spleen. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as part of the spleen. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 13, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q6760434. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Marginal zone”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Marginal zone primary sources, Marginal zone archive and Marginal research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Marginal zone”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Marginal zone” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.