You searched for: “thymus
Thymus
A genus of plants from which a pungent aromatic herb is made with the leaves. An African tree, said to be "a tree the wood of which was burnt for sacrificial purposes".
This entry is located in the following unit: thymo-3, thym-, thymi- (plant) + (page 1)
(Greek > Modern Latin: thymus gland, glands; warty glanular growth resembling a bunch of thyme [aromatic bush leaves])
Word Entries containing the term: “thymus
thymus gland
A glandular body of obscure function (one of the so-called ductless glands) situated near the base of the neck in vertebrate animals; in people it usually disappears after the period of childhood.

This organ is important in the development of the immune response in the newborn. Its removal during early chilhood has been associated with an increased susceptibility to acute infectious diseases at a later time.

The thymus is essential to the maturation of the thymic lymphoid cells, called T cells. When the T cells enter the circulation, they are the small-sized and medium-sized lymphocytes which may survive for up to five years. These cells are important in the body's cellular immune response.

This entry is located in the following unit: thymo-1, thym-, thymi- (page 2)