The thymus is a small organ in the chest. Thymocytes created in the bone marrow migrate to the thymus where they mature into T cells of the adaptive immune system through a complex process of selection. The thymus atrophies with advancing age, and this reduces the pace at which new T cells are generated to reinforce the immune system. Absent reinforcements the adaptive immune system declines into malfunctioning, senescent, exhausted cell populations over time. This immune dysfun…
Removal of the Thymus Illustrates the Importance of Thymic Atrophy in Aging
The thymus is a small organ in the chest. Thymocytes created in the bone marrow migrate to the thymus where they mature into T cells of the adaptive immune system through a complex process of selection. The thymus atrophies with advancing age, and this reduces the pace at which new T cells are generated to reinforce the immune system. Absent reinforcements the adaptive immune system declines into malfunctioning, senescent, exhausted cell populations over time. This immune dysfun…