Which term is defined as 'Small vessels collecting excess tissue fluid'?

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The key idea is identifying the tiny vessels that start the lymphatic drainage by taking up excess tissue fluid. These are the lymph capillaries, the smallest lymphatic vessels. They are blind-ended tubes nestled in nearly all tissues, with overlapping endothelial cells that form one-way mini valves. When tissue fluid pressure is higher than inside the vessel, fluid can flow into the capillaries and become lymph; once inside, it’s directed into larger lymphatic vessels for onward transport. Lymphatic drainage describes the overall movement of lymph through the system, not these small vessels themselves, and tissue fluid is the fluid before it enters the lymphatic system. So the description “Small vessels collecting excess tissue fluid” fits lymph capillaries perfectly.