See Also: thymus gland(medicine)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
thymus(encyclopedia)
thymus(dictionary)
Thymus(health)
Thymus(medicine)
thymus extracts(medicine)
lobules of thymus(medicine)
thymus hyperplasia(medicine)
thymus treatment(medicine)

thymus gland (medicine)


thymus gland


A bilaterally symmetric lymphoid organ situated in the anterior superior mediastinum. Each of its two lobes consists of an outer zone, the cortex, relatively rich in lymphocytes (thymocytes), and an inner zone, the medulla, relatively rich in epithelial cells. The thymus is the site of the production of T-lymphocytes. The thymus reaches its maximal development at about puberty and then undergoes a gradual process of involution resulting in a slow decline of immune function throughout adulthood.