Talking About Tonsils

When most people think about the immune system, they envision white blood cells rushing in the bloodstream to eliminate potentially harmful foreign microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.

- Lim Teck Choon

Some will also associate lymph nodes with the immune system. There is another often underappreciated component to the immune system: two roundish lumps at the back of the throat known as the tonsils.

THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST INFECTIONS

The tonsils we commonly think of are called the palatine tonsils. Prof Dr Balwant explains that these are the fleshy tissues located one at each side at the back of our throat or pharynx.

There are also other types of tonsils in our body, all located around the pharynx:

The pharyngeal tonsil, or adenoids, is a mass of tissue located on the roof of the space at the back of the throat (nasopharynx). The adenoids play a role in the immune system during childhood. They shrink as we age and eventually disappear during adulthood.

A pair of tubal tonsils (sometimes called Gerlach’s tonsils) are located on each side of the location where the auditory tube opens into the nasopharynx.

A pair of lingual tonsils are located on the back part of the tongue, one at each side.

These tonsil tissues are arranged to form what is called the Waldeyer’s tonsillar ring. This ring acts as the first ring of defense against microorganisms that find their way in through the nose and mouth.

The tissues in the tonsils are similar to that found in lymph nodes. Like lymph nodes, tonsils can swell in size in the presence of infections.