Thymus

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/thymus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Primary lymphoid organ of the immune system
2. What is the location?Anterior superior mediastinum, posterior to the sternum and anterior to the pericardium
3. What is the thymus and why is it important?The thymus is a small organ that trains T cells, the body’s tiny soldiers, so they can fight germs and not attack the body itself.
4. Where is the thymus located in the body?It sits in the upper part of the chest, just behind the sternum, and has two lobes.

Positive Selection: Process in the thymus where T cells are selected based on their ability to recognize self-MHC molecules.
Negative Selection: Process in the thymus where T cells that strongly react to self-antigens are eliminated.
Thymic Involution: The age-related decrease in the size and function of the thymus, replaced by fatty tissue.
Immunosenescence: The gradual deterioration of the immune system that occurs with aging.