Põrnas

Põrnas is not a standard term for a biological organ in modern Estonian; the spleen is called põrn. The genitive singular is põrna, and the nominative plural is põrnad; nevertheless, occurrences of põrnas may appear in dialectal text or as a misspelling.

The spleen is an organ located in the upper left part of the abdomen, behind the stomach and beneath the diaphragm. In an average adult it is roughly the size of a fist. It is enveloped by a connective tissue capsule and contains two main tissue types: red pulp, which filters blood and removes old or damaged red blood cells, and white pulp, which is involved in immune responses.

Its primary functions include blood filtration, immune surveillance, and blood cell turnover. The spleen helps to recycle iron from old red blood cells and acts as a reservoir for platelets, releasing them as needed by the body. It also plays a role in storing white blood cells and mounting an immune response to certain pathogens.

The spleen receives arterial blood from the splenic artery and drains via the splenic vein, eventually feeding into the portal venous system. Clinically, an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) can occur with infections, liver disease, iron disorders, and some cancers. Traumatic injury to the spleen can cause life-threatening bleeding, sometimes necessitating splenectomy. After splenectomy, individuals may have an increased susceptibility to certain infections, making vaccination and preventive care important.