Cell competition in the thymus is crucial in a healthy organism

T lymphocyte cells develop in the thymus. They are essential for fighting infections and preventing cancer. The thymus is located just above the heart. It is large in children and gradually reduces in size with age. In the thymus, T lymphocytes develop from progenitor cells, which originate in the bone marrow and travel to the thymus through the bloodstream. This is a continuous process in which cells enter the thymus, proliferate and develop into T lymphocytes. In the end, these cells leave the thymus to scout and defend the body.

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