thymus

Also known as thymus gland

The thymus (: thymuses or thymi) is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, T cells mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. The thymus is located in the upper front part of the chest, in the anterior superior mediastinum, behind the sternum, and in front of the heart. It is made up of two lobes, each consisting of a central medulla and an outer cortex, surrounded by a capsule.

AI overview

The thymus is a specialized immune organ located in the upper front part of your chest where T cells mature and develop into critical components of your body's adaptive immune system. It matters because these T cells help your body recognize and fight specific foreign invaders, making the thymus essential for your immune defenses.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Anatomy.Name: Thymus
Anatomy.Latin: thymus
Anatomy.Greek: θύμος
Anatomy.Image: Illu thymus.jpg
Anatomy.Caption: Position of the human thymus
Anatomy.Precursor: Third pharyngeal pouch
Anatomy.System: Lymphatic system, part of the immune system
Anatomy.Lymph: Tracheobronchial, parasternal
Anatomy.Function: Support the development of functional T cells

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

93,268 papers

Thymus hormones.British medical journal · 1977
Thymus organogenesis and development of the thymic stroma.ReviewMethods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2007Nowell CS, Farley AM, Blackburn CCDOI: 10.1007/978-1-59745-395-0_8
Thymus therapy for cancer? A criteria-based, systematic review.European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990) · 1997Ernst EDOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(96)00475-3
[Thymus hormones and immunity].ReviewUspekhi sovremennoi biologii · 1977Giulling EV, Nikol'skiĭ IS
[Immunobiology of thymus peptides: T-activin].ReviewZhurnal mikrobiologii, epidemiologii i immunobiologii · 1987Arion VIa
Plants belonging to the genus Thymus as antibacterial agents: from farm to pharmacy.ReviewFood chemistry · 2015Nabavi SM, Marchese A, Izadi M et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.10.042
Thymus therapy for cancer.European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990) · 1997Cassileth BRDOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(97)00009-9
[Endocrine function of the thymus].ReviewVutreshni bolesti · 1975Kostadinov D

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Human thymus posterior view.jpg

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Commons category: Thymus (organ)
Commons gallery: Thymus (organ)
NCI Thesaurus ID: C12433

Sources (5)

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~25 min read

Article

28 sections

Contents

Structure
{{anchor|Medulla}}Microanatomy
Blood and nerve supply
Variation
Development
Involution
Function
T cell maturation
Positive selection
Negative selection
Clinical significance
Immunodeficiency
Autoimmune disease
Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome
Thymoma-associated multiorgan autoimmunity
Myasthenia gravis
Cancer
Thymomas
Lymphomas
Thymic cysts
Surgical removal
Society and culture
History
Other animals
Additional images
References
Books
External links

The thymus is made up of immature T cells called thymocytes, as well as lining cells called epithelial cells, which help the thymocytes develop. T cells that successfully develop react appropriately with MHC immune receptors of the body (called positive selection) and not against proteins of the body (called negative selection). The thymus is the largest and most active during the neonatal and pre-adolescent periods. By the early teens, the thymus begins to decrease in size and activity and the tissue of the thymus is gradually replaced by fatty tissue. Nevertheless, some T cell development continues throughout adult life.