The Thymus gland confers immunological competence on the lymphocytes. Immunological competence refers to the ability to react with an antigen to produce antibodies or become active in other reactions such as delayed hypersensitivity or a cell-mediated immune response.
Immunologically competent lymphocytes are called ‘T-cells’ and they differ from other types of lymphocytes in that they carry special receptors on their cell surface called ‘T cell receptors’.
The ‘T’ abbreviation refers to the thymus gland, the main organ which confers immunological competence on them. The thymus gland in the human is located mainly in the anterior mediastinum where it overlies the pericardium of the heart.
Lymphocytes are produced in the bone marrow; at that point they are not immunologically competent. They then enter the thymus gland where they multiply rapidly, and a proportion of them now become immunologically competent and enter the blood stream.
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