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PMID: 304768 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

Ultrastructure of the age-involuted adult human thymus.

Cell and tissue research ·Vol. 186 ·No. 3 ·1978-01-31 ·Pages 507-25

von Gaudecker B

Abstract

Age involuted thymus tissue from a middle aged (33 years) and an old (63 years) man have been examined by electron microscopy and compared with thymus tissue from children. Biopsies had been taken during surgical correction of congenital heart defects. The fine structural architecture of cortex, medulla and connective tissue in the remaining lymphatic islands in the adult thymus investigated was not different to the thymus of children. We were surprised to find vigorous lymphocytopoiesis in the cortical regions and to recognize extended areas of medulla with a cellular composition which obviously provides the same microenvironment for T-cell maturation as the medulla of the non involuted thymus. Our findings are discussed in relation to the increasing arguments that the human thymus serves an immunological function throughout life.

MeSH Terms
Adult Aging Child Child, Preschool Connective Tissue/ultrastructure Humans Lymphocytes Male Microscopy, Electron Middle Aged T-Lymphocytes Thymus Gland/ultrastructure
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
von Gaudecker B
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34 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Cell and tissue research
Abbr.
Cell Tissue Res
ISSN
0302-766X
DOI
10.1007/BF00224939
Published
1978-01-31
Pages
507-25
Language
English
Region
Germany
NLM ID
0417625
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF00224939 View journal details
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