Relationship of Thymus and Other
Glands
All of the glands that the thymus
interacts with directly are part of the
lymphatic system, which is in charge of
immune response. It defends against
infection disease, and returns tissue fluid
into the blood stream. The lymphatic
vessels carry lymph (water and proteins)
and lymphocytes from peripheral tissues
to veins of the cardiovascular system.
The lymph nodes monitor the
composition of the lymph and also
engulf pathogens to stimulate immune
response. The spleen monitors
circulating blood and also engulfs
pathogens to stimulate immune
response. The thymus controls and
regulates the lymphocytes and therefore
controls many other glands.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Martini, Fredric.
Fundamentals of Anatomy and
Physiology. Prentice Hall
Inc.: New Jersey, 2001.
Ross, J.D. “The Thymus.”
McMial Medical Company. 2002.
<jdaross.mcmail.com/lymphatic
s6.htm> (March 12, 2004)
Elena Stonaker, Myriah Heddens, and Lindsey
Ripley
THYMUS – “The
Master Gland of the
Immune System!”
LOCATION AND STRUCTURE
Function
It is located in the upper part of the
mediastenum and extends up towards the
root of the neck. It consists of two lobes
connected by areolar tissue. At the
cortex there are reticular epithelial cells
that circle blood vessels. The purpose of
the epithelial cells is to maintain the
blood thymus barrier and to secrete the
dynamic hormones that stimulate stem
cell division and T cell differentiation.
The thymus is a place where lymphocytes
mature to become activated T cells that
respond to antigens anywhere else in the
body. The lymphocytes are divided into
to groups of white blood cells. The first
one is those who enter the blood and
into circulation or stored in the
lymphoid tissue. The second remains in
the thymus to reproduce.
Development
It grows and reaches the full size of
approximately 40 grams by the age of
two. It slowly diminishes and becomes
more fibrous which is called involution
and decreased until death. It is a possible
reason why elderly people are more
susceptible to disease.
Hormones
The hormonal effects of the thymus
coordinate and regulate immune
response. It produces several
hormones crucial to development and
maintenance of the immune defense
system. The thymus secretes
thymosin which causes the
maturation of the thymus including
lymphocytes which are also known as
white blood cells. This extract
contains a blend of several
complementary hormones.
Thymosin now refers to all thymic
hormones. Thymosin is a blend of
one thymosin O, thymosin B and V,
Thymopoietin, and Thymolin as well
as two others. Under the influence of
thymic hormones the lymphoid stem
cells divide repeatedly producing the
various kinds of T cells (immune
response).