Tonsils, tonsils

They are an accumulation of lymphoid tissue (participating in the body’s defense response) in the pharynx. M. located between the palatine arches are called palatine (or tonsils). They can be seen in the depths of the wide open mouth to the right and left of the small tongue. have an oblong shape; They are usually pale pink in color, their surface is uneven, lumpy, because it has many holes leading into narrow convoluted slits called lacunae.

A large number of microbes can accumulate in the gaps; here, during inflammation (see. Sore throat), the so-called. plugs consisting of an accumulation of exfoliated cells of the mucous membrane, dead white blood cells - leukocytes (blood cells that destroy microbes that have entered the body) - and small food particles. In addition to palatal M., humans have lingual (at the root of the tongue), pharyngeal, and tubal (in the pharynx). Together with the lymphatic follicles located in the larynx, they form a protective barrier called the lymphadenoid pharyngeal ring. For chronic In the inflammatory process, which most often occurs in the palatine M. (see Tonsillitis), their protective function is disrupted, and they turn into a focus of pyogenic microbes that is dangerous to the body. In these cases, intensive treatment is necessary; The question of surgical treatment is decided by the doctor individually. M.'s size is not of great importance in assessing their condition. Sometimes small microbes contain many microbes and their metabolic products that have a harmful effect on the body, and, conversely, large microbes are not always the result of their painful state. However, if they increase very sharply, they can interfere with swallowing and breathing. In such cases, the part of the palatine tonsils protruding into the lumen of the pharynx must be removed.