The tonsils are located at the intersection of the digestive tract and the respiratory tract. They are a pair of flat, oval lymphoid organs. The mucosa here contains a large amount of lymphoid tissue. It is a site where frequent exposure to antigens causes local immune responses.

Before the age of 3, tonsils are an important immune organ of the human body. They can produce lymphocytes and antibodies, have the function of resisting bacteria and viruses, and enable the entire body to generate immunity. For a healthy person, the tonsils are like gatekeepers, playing a protective role. When a child is 6 to 7 years old, the growth and development of the tonsils reaches its peak, and then gradually begins to shrink, usually shrinking to the adult state at 11 to 12 years old.

Extended information

Structural classification of tonsils:

1. Palatine tonsils

The palatine tonsils are oval, with a mucosal surface on one side Covered by stratified squamous epithelium, the epithelium sinks into the lamina propria to form crypts with 10 to 30 branches. There is a large amount of diffuse lymphoid tissue and lymph nodes in the lamina propria around the crypts.

2. Pharyngeal tonsils

Pharyngeal tonsils, also known as adenoids, are located on the posterior wall of the pharynx. The surface is covered with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium and has no crypts. The mucosa forms some longitudinal folds, and there are many lymphoid tissues in the lamina propria. Lymphocyte infiltration is also common in the epithelium, and the epithelium in the infiltrated area often turns into stratified squamous epithelium.

3. Lingual tonsils

Lingual tonsils are located at the base of the tongue and the anterior wall of the pharynx. The surface is covered with stratified squamous epithelium and some shallow crypts. There is lymphocyte infiltration in the epithelium, and the lamina propria contains some lymph nodes and diffuse lymphoid tissue, which often causes the tongue mucosa to surface

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