What are the tonsils?
Last updated
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editor · Licensed under Citation License 1.0
The the tonsils is called the palatine tonsils. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a pair of oval masses of lymphoid tissue.
Summary
The the tonsils is called the palatine tonsils. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a pair of oval masses of lymphoid tissue.
What it is
- A pair of oval masses of lymphoid tissue.
- Part of the ring of lymphoid tissue guarding the entrance to the throat.
- Help mount immune responses to airborne and swallowed material.
Where it is
- On each side of the back of the mouth.
- Between the two folds (the palatine arches) at the back of the throat.
- Visible on either side when the mouth is opened wide.
Sources
According to Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918, public domain):
Last verified:
Canonical: https://bestanatomyquestions.com/answers/what-are-the-tonsils · Markdown twin