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The thymus lies just below the breast bone. Though the thymus is a little-known organ in the body, it does some very important things. It is part of the lymphatic system, along with the tonsils, adenoids and spleen, and it’s also part of the endocrine system. The body uses T-cells help destroy infected or cancerous cells. T-cells created by the thymus also help other organs in the immune system grow properly. These cells are so vital, they are often donated to those in need.
The thymus is located just below the breast bone. It is relatively large in infants and grows until puberty. In adulthood, it starts to slowly shrink and become replaced by fat, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It can weigh only 5 grams in elderly adults. As it grows smaller, it seems the organ becomes less important. Removal of the organ in the adult has little effect, but when the thymus is removed in the newborn, T-cells in the blood and lymphoid tissue are depleted, and failure of the immune system causes a gradual, fatal wasting disease,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
The thymus gets its name from its silhouette. It is shaped much like a thyme leaf, a common cooking herb. It has two separate lobes divided by a central medulla and a peripheral cortex and is formed with lymphocytes and reticular cells. The reticular cells form a mesh that is filled with lymphocytes.
Myasthenia gravis occurs when the thymus is abnormally large and produces antibodies that block or destroy the muscles’ receptor sites. This causes the muscles to become weak and easily tired. Pure red cell aplasia is thought to be caused commonly by the patient’s own immune cells attacking blood-forming stem cells. This can happen when the thymus has a tumor, according to The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation. Hypogammaglobulinemia is a disorder where the body doesn’t produce enough antibodies.