Medical Questions » Chest Questions » Question No. 198
| Question: | Can you please tell me what the thymus gland in the chest does? I am a nursing student, and I can' t understand this gland at all. |
| Answer: | No problem. To put it simply, the thymus in the adult is a small irregular strip of glandular tissue that lies behind the upper part of the breast bone and extends up into the front of the neck. In a child it is proportionally much larger and more important. It reaches its maximum size of about 30 grams at puberty.
It plays a major role in the development and maintenance of the immune system by producing specific types of white cells (B and T cells) that are vital in allowing the body to become immune to infection. It also secretes a hormone that maintains the competence of the cells it produces.
If the thymus fails to develop or is removed, the patient will be unable to fight off infection or cancer effectively. Excess activity of the gland can cause the disease myasthenia gravis.
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