Lymph is similar in composition to blood plasma. The main chemical difference is that lymph does not contain erythrocytes. It also contains a much lower concentration of protein than plasma since most protein molecules are too large to filter through the capillary wall. Lymph contains water, some plasma proteins, electrolytes, lipids, leukocytes, coagulation factors, antibodies, enzymes, sugars, urea, and amino acids.
The lymphoid organs. (From Smeltzer, S. C., and Bare, B. G. Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. 9th Ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2000.)