What are the tonsils?
The the tonsils is called the palatine tonsils. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a pair of oval masses of lymphoid tissue.
What it is
- A pair of oval masses of lymphoid tissue.
- Part of the ring of lymphoid tissue guarding the entrance to the throat.
- Help mount immune responses to airborne and swallowed material.
Where it is
- On each side of the back of the mouth.
- Between the two folds (the palatine arches) at the back of the throat.
- Visible on either side when the mouth is opened wide.
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Last verified: 2026-07-18
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