title: Age involution in the normal human adult thymus.
abstract: Thymic biopsies taken under general anaesthetic prior to partial thyroidectomy for non-toxic nodular goitre were studied with histometric techniques: evidence is presented that the tissue studied is representative of the normal adult human thymus. The pattern of age involution of the normal adult thymus is described: there is a striking sex difference in the curves of involution, due to differences in behaviour of the cortex.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology