The lymphatic system helps remove excess fluid and proteins from tissues and returns them to the bloodstream. Lymph vessels drain interstitial fluid from most tissues into the thoracic duct or right lymphatic duct, which empty into subclavian veins. Along with monocytes and macrophages, lymph nodes filter the lymph and phagocytose pathogens and cellular debris. The monocyte-macrophage system, also called the reticuloendothelial system, is comprised of tissue-resident macrophages that protect against infection by phagocytosing invading microbes in tissues like the lungs, liver, spleen, and bone marrow.