OVERVIEW OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
LYMPHATIC TISSUES AND ORGANS
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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It makes B cells
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It makes T cells
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It stops working as you age
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All of the above are correct
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Detailed explanation-1: -The thymus gland reduces with the increase in age. In infants, it is larger in size but in adults, it is greatly reduced. Thus, its function reduces with aging. The thymus is not involved in the production of either the B-cells or the T-cells.
Detailed explanation-2: -Age-related regression of the thymus is associated with a decline in naïve T cell output. This is thought to contribute to the reduction in T cell diversity seen in older individuals and linked with increased susceptibility to infection, autoimmune disease, and cancer.
Detailed explanation-3: -A critical immune organ called the thymus shrinks rapidly with age, putting older individuals at greater risk for life-threatening infections. A new study reveals that thymus atrophy may stem from a decline in its ability to protect against DNA damage from free radicals.
Detailed explanation-4: -If the thymus does not work properly, we can end up with too few T cells to protect ourselves – this is called immunodeficiency – or we can produce T cells that attack our own body – which is called autoimmunity.