A mass of lymphoid tissue at the back of the nasal cavity that helps catch inhaled germs in childhood.
Structure
The adenoid is a single midline pad of lymphoid tissue covered with respiratory epithelium. Pits or crypts in its surface trap microbes for sampling by immune cells.
Function
Like the palatine tonsils, the adenoid is most active in early childhood when the immune system is learning to recognize common pathogens. It typically shrinks during adolescence.
Clinical note
Enlarged adenoids in children can block the nasal airway and the eustachian tube, causing snoring, nasal speech, and middle-ear infections.
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