Question

Dietary antioxidants have been found to preserve the size of the thymus, thus improving immunity that decreases with age. Why is this? What is the role of the thymus and how is it related to immunity?

Answer 1

Answer: Thymus is a gland which produces several hormones for the production of T cells or T lymphocytes. T cells is a type of white blood cells that which helps the to improve immunity in the body by destroying the harmful micro organism such as bacteria, virus and other harmful pathogens etc.

The antioxidants plays a huge role in protecting the thymus gland and preserve the size. The main antioxidants selenium plays a key role in protecting the thymus. Due to ageing the level of antioxidants get reduced and the it causes reduction in the size of Thymus and level of T cell production and the fatty cells get replaced in the Thymus gland.

From the above explanation, Thymus plays a major role in the immunity of body by producing T cells. This is how the Thymus get related to immunity.