thymus

American  

[thahy-muhs] / ˈθaɪ məs /

noun

Anatomy.

PLURAL

thymuses, thymi

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.

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thymus British  

/ 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

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thymus Scientific  

/ 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.

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Etymology

Origin of thymus

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

Example Sentences

Sakaguchi then isolated mature T-cells from genetically identical mice and injected them into the mice without a thymus, and that appeared to protect them.

From The Wall Street Journal

A similar study looked at the thymus – a small organ involved in training the immune system.

From BBC

Plus a tweak: The donor pig’s thymus gland, which trains the immune system, was attached to the donated kidney in hopes that it would help Pisano’s body tolerate the new organ.

From Seattle Times

“Later, after the game, I confirmed that I have written specifically about what’s called ‘involution of the thymus’ on my blog in October 2018.

From Seattle Times

Epithelial cells in the thymus present a large number of molecules that occur in the body to the future T cells.

From Science Daily