ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Your thymus is a small gland in the lymphatic system that makes and trains special white blood cells called T-cells. The T-cells help your immune system fight disease and infection. Your thymus gland produces most of your T-cells before birth.

Detailed explanation-2: -The thymus is an organ that is critically important to the immune system which serves as the body’s defense mechanism providing surveillance and protection against diverse pathogens, tumors, antigens and mediators of tissue damage.

Detailed explanation-3: -T cells are immune cells that recognize and destroy infected or foreign cells in the body. The thymus teaches T cells what proteins they might encounter in the body so they can recognize friend from foe.

Detailed explanation-4: -Before birth and throughout childhood, the thymus is instrumental in the production and maturation of T-lymphocytes or T cells, a specific type of white blood cell that protects the body from certain threats, including viruses and infections.

Detailed explanation-5: -The thymus is divided into two main regions, a peripheral cortex and a central medulla (see Fig. 7.7). Most T-cell development takes place in the cortex; only mature single-positive thymocytes are seen in the medulla.