thymus

[ thahy-muhs ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural thy·mus·es, thy·mi [thahy, -mahy].

1. a ductless, butterfly-shaped gland lying at the base of the neck, formed mostly of lymphatic tissue and aiding in the production of T cells of the immune system: after puberty, the lymphatic tissue gradually degenerates.

thymus

/ ˈθaɪməs /

noun

1. a glandular organ of vertebrates, consisting in man of two lobes situated below the thyroid. In early life it produces lymphocytes and is thought to influence certain immunological responses. It atrophies with age and is almost nonexistent in the adult

thymus

/ thī′məs /

1. An organ of the lymphatic system located behind the upper sternum (breastbone). T cells (T lymphocytes) develop and mature in the thymus before entering the circulation. In humans, the thymus stops growing in early childhood and gradually shrinks in size through adulthood, resulting in a gradual decline in immune system function.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thymus¹

1685–95; < New Latin < Greek thýmos warty excrescence, thymus

Word History and Origins

Origin of thymus¹

C17: from New Latin, from Greek thumos sweetbread

Example Sentences

Previous studies in rodents that cut their calories by nearly half resulted in better function of their thymus and immune T cells, as well as a drop in the molecules that promote inflammation.

From Singularity Hub 

Without cutting calories, the rodents had less aging-associated inflammation and a more efficient thymus—an organ that makes immune cells—and metabolism compared to similarly-aged peers.

From Singularity Hub 

Al’s early work demonstrated that the thymus plays a major role, and later studies in his lab found that the T cells’ ability to recognize the body’s own cells is acquired rather than genetically predetermined.

From MIT Technology Review

The pig’s thymus gland, which can help educate the immune system to recognize the kidney as part of the body, was also transplanted with the organ to improve its chances of acceptance, Montgomery said.

From Science News

The thymus gland attains a considerable development in the embryo and shrinks away to the merest vestige in the adult.

From Project Gutenberg

Owen says that the thymus appears in vertebrates with the establishment of the lung as the main or exclusive respiratory organ.

From Project Gutenberg

The enlargement or persistence of the thymus can be better recognised, and doctors now seldom fail to notice it.

From Project Gutenberg

It is nearly always accompanied by a distinct hypertrophy of the thymus gland.

From Project Gutenberg

The thymus gland, which lies near the heart and is often called the heart sweetbread, is the best one.

From Project Gutenberg