Video Transcript
The organs of the immune system are
scattered throughout the body, as shown in the figure. What is the name of organ X?
The picture shows several organs of
the immune system. For us to correctly identify organ
X, let’s have a quick look at the different organs that it shows.
The tonsils are two immune organs
associated with the digestive system that are found on either side of the back of
the throat. The tonsils are like two guards,
alerting the rest of the immune system to any potential threats arising from the
food we eat or the air we breathe.
Peyer’s patches are clusters of
immune cells called lymphoid follicles, located in the lower portion of the small
intestine. Peyer’s patches monitor the
bacteria found in the small intestine to ensure it remains balanced and to detect
any harmful bacteria that may have entered the small intestine.
The thymus is an organ found near
the trachea just behind the sternum, or breastbone, between the lungs in the upper
chest cavity. The thymus is where certain immune
cells named T cells, or T lymphocytes, mature and differentiate.
The spleen is an organ in the
abdominal cavity on the left side of the body, which filters blood, removing old and
damaged red blood cells to be broken down. The spleen also contains many white
blood cells that can recognize antigens on the surface of foreign cells to initiate
the adaptive immune response and eliminate pathogens.
Bone marrow is a type of tissue
found inside our bones. There are two types of bone marrow:
red and yellow. And red bone marrow is where new
red blood cells and white blood cells are made.
The lymph nodes are organs found at
junctions throughout the lymphatic system, which can range in size from the point of
a pinhead to the size of a bean. Lymph nodes are scattered
throughout the body, but they are particularly common in the trunk area, such as in
the armpits, neck, chest, and groin.
Looking at the original picture
provided by the question, we can see that organ X is located near the chest area,
close to the lungs. By looking at the descriptions of
the organs we’ve discussed and their locations, we can see that that the thymus is
located behind the sternum in the chest cavity. Using this information, we can
deduce that organ X is the thymus.