spleno-, splen-, splenico-, spleni-, -splenism, -splenia, -splenic (Greek: spleen, "the inward parts;" the elongated accessory lymphatic organ of the vascular [blood] system).

The spleen is a large glandlike, but ductless, organ situated in the upper part of the abdominal cavity on the left side and lateral to the cardiac end of the stomach. It is also called the lien. The largest structure in the lymphoid system, it is a flattened oblong shaped structure of about 125 mm. in length. It disintegrates the red blood cells and sets the hemoglobin free, which the liver converts into bilirubin; it gives rise to new red blood cells during fetal life and in the newborn; serves as a reservoir of blood; produces lymphocytes and plasma cells; and has other important functions, the full scope of which hasn't been entirely determined.