Does this disappearing organ hold the secret of longevity?
The word itself means soul in Greek.Long seen as an organ that outlived its usefulness after childhood, the thymus is now attracting renewed interest. Scientists increasingly believe it could hold clues to one of humanity’s constant hopes — increasing longevity.Here is more about the thymus, its function and the latest research about it.What is the thymus?The thymus is a gland located beneath the breastbone, in front of the heart. It is relatively large in newborns and is already well developed before birth, but it gradually shrinks and becomes less active with age.The thymus is where T lymphocytes or T cells mature.
- ▪The word itself means soul in Greek.Long seen as an organ that outlived its usefulness after childhood, the thymus is now attracting renewed interest.
- ▪Scientists increasingly believe it could hold clues to one of humanity’s constant hopes — increasing longevity.Here is more about the thymus, its function and the latest research about it.What is the thymus?The thymus is a gland located ben
- ▪It is relatively large in newborns and is already well developed before birth, but it gradually shrinks and becomes less active with age.The thymus is where T lymphocytes or T cells mature.
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EXPLAINERNews|HealthDoes this disappearing organ hold the secret of longevity?Scientists are increasingly focused on the thymus, an immune gland that naturally becomes less active with age.ListenListen (6 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoCuban doctor Daysi Luperon Loforte talks with Teodoro Crea, a patient hospitalised in the emergency unit of the Santa Maria degli Ungheresi Hospital of Polistena, in the southern Italian Calabria region, June 16, 2026.
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