Question 1

what is the function of the thymus?

Accepted Answer

Immune system: Before birth and throughout childhood, thymus is instrumental in the production and maturation of T-lymphocytes or T cells, specific type of white blood cell that protects  body from certain viruses and other infections.Thymus produces and secretes thymosin, hormone necessary for T cell development and production.Thymus involutes following puberty.

Question 2

can you suggest where i can buy thymus extract?

Accepted Answer

Save your money: Thymus extract has not shown to have any effect on the immune system.  You'd be better off spending your money on sweet bread which often contains the thymus gland.

Question 3

is residual thymus is abnormal for the age 30 years?

Accepted Answer

: While identification of a thymus shadow on x-ray is most common in young children it is occasionally seen in adults. By itself the finding is a curiosity rather than a worrisome sign. The doc who obtained the x-ray &amp; knows the facts of the case needs to be the one to explain its importance in the case at hand.

Question 4

could thymus gland regrow?

Accepted Answer

Not exactly: The thymus starts out fairly large in childhood. As one ages it slowly shrinks, until it is almost completely gone by adulthood. Even without a thymus, the adult immune system (of which the gland is a part) work normally. It does not normally grow back, but there are certain conditions (e.g., myasthenia gravis) where a tumor of the thymus (thymoma) may occur; these are usually treated surgically.

Question 5

what causes thymus swelling?

Accepted Answer

Thymoma: Thymus problems are not that common. Thymomas are usually benign tumors of the thymus. Often they are manifested with the symptoms of myasthenia graves - muscle weakness etc. There are some malignant tumors as well. Other thymus problems except for tumors are not common.

Question 6

can a baby be born without a thymus gland?

Accepted Answer

YES: Several genetic defects that affect the development of t lymphocytes (immune system blood cells) results in absent or very small thymus. Also, deletion of chromosome 22q11 or digeorge syndrome, a relatively common genetic syndrome, causes poor devlopment of thymus, which is significant in 1% of babies with this chromosomal deletion.

Question 7

when to go to ed for enlarged thymus gland?

Accepted Answer

Unsure about what: Ed means. If you mean emergency dept. Then there is really no need to go to "ed". Go to a primary physician who will then order a chest xray and ct scan of the chest for evaluation. Your clinical findings may indicate myasthenia gravis or thymoma.

Question 8

can removal of thymus make mystinia gravis patient normal?

Accepted Answer

Yes it may: The thymus gland — a part of your immune system situated in the upper chest beneath the breastbone — may trigger or maintain the production of these antibodies. Although the gland is large in infancy, it is small in healthy adults. But, in some adults with myasthenia gravis, the thymus is abnormally large. Often times removal of the thymus may improve patient symptoms and disease.

Question 9

anatomy, help with question about thymus location and function please?

Accepted Answer

Central chest: This is a gland in between the lobes of the lung  which is one of the assists for the immune system.  It rarely causes problems but can be malfunctioning in a condition called myaesthenia gravis.

Question 10

is it common for a patient to gain weight after having a thymus removed?

Accepted Answer

Thyroid: removal may surely make you gain weight   the thymus sort of dissappears in child hood  and does not effect metabolism.


The thymus is largest and most active during the neonatal and pre-adolescent periods. By the early teens, the thymus begins to atrophy and thymic stroma is mostly replaced by adipose (fat) tissue. Nevertheless, residual T lymphopoiesis continues throughout adult life.

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Doctor answers about:

WHAT DOES A THYMUS DO

A member asked:

What is the function of the thymus?

A member asked:

Can you suggest where i can buy thymus extract?

A member asked:

Is residual thymus is abnormal for the age 30 years?

A member asked:

Could thymus gland regrow?

A member asked:

What causes thymus swelling?

A member asked:

Can a baby be born without a thymus gland?

A member asked:

When to go to ed for enlarged thymus gland?

A member asked:

Can removal of thymus make mystinia gravis patient normal?

A member asked:

Anatomy, help with question about thymus location and function please?

A member asked:

Is it common for a patient to gain weight after having a thymus removed?

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