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The thymus (pl.: thymuses or thymi) is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system.Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or T cells mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders.
Thymic involution is the shrinking of the thymus with age, resulting in changes in the architecture of the thymus and a decrease in tissue mass. [1] Thymus involution is one of the major characteristics of vertebrate immunology, and occurs in almost all vertebrates, from birds, teleosts, amphibians to reptiles, though the thymi of a few species of sharks are known not to involute.
Sweetbread is a culinary name for the thymus or pancreas, typically from calf or lamb. Sweetbreads have a rich, slightly gamey flavor and a tender, succulent texture. They are often served as an appetizer or a main course and can be accompanied by a variety of sauces and side dishes. The etymology of the name is unclear.
Histology of the thymus showing the cortex and medulla Minute structure of thymus. The ability of T cells to recognize foreign antigens is mediated by the T cell receptor (TCR), which is a surface protein able to recognize short protein sequences ( peptides ) that are presented on MHC .
Ectopic thymus is a condition where thymus tissue is found in an abnormal location . It usually does not cause symptoms, but may leads to a mass in the neck that may compress the trachea and the esophagus .
The thymus contributes fewer cells as a person ages. As the thymus shrinks by about 3% [ 15 ] a year throughout middle age, a corresponding fall in the thymic production of naive T cells occurs, leaving peripheral T cell expansion and regeneration to play a greater role in protecting older people.
The supposition that the role of the thymus might involve a hormone-like mechanism led to the isolation from thymus tissue of a biologically active preparation. Known as "Thymosin Fraction 5", this was able to restore some aspects of immune function in animals lacking thymus gland.
The final anatomical location of the thymic gland is reached at 6 weeks in the fetus. TECs originate from non-hematopoietic cells that are characterized by negative expression of CD45 and positive expression of EpCAM. Then TECs are divided into two phenotypically and functionally different groups that have distinct location, cytokeratin ...