Question

A pair of small lymphatic tissue present at the sides of the root of the tongue is called
(a) Thyroid
(b) Tonsils
(c) Epiglottis
(d) Adenoids

Answer 1

Hint: Lymphatic tissues constitute the lymphoid system in vertebrates that is a part of both circulatory as well as the immune system. Some masses of lymphoid tissues are present in some parts of the throat.

Complete answer:
The small pair of lymphatic tissue present at the sides of the root of the tongue is called palatine tonsil. These are also known as faucial tonsils and are located on each side at the back of the throat in the isthmus of the fauces and between the palatoglossal arch and the palatopharyngeal arch of the Soft Palate.

Additional Information: These Palatine tonsils are made of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and are present at the entrance to the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. These are the sites of the potential focus of infections. These are the chief immunocompetent tissues in the oropharynx. They are covered by a pink mucosa just like on the adjacent mouth lining.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that lies below Adam's apple along the front of the windpipe. It is present in the front of the neck and has two lobes connected by an isthmus.
Epiglottis is a leaf-shaped flap that prevents the entry of food in the Respiratory tract during swallowing and is present behind the tongue at the top of the larynx. It also contributes to the production of sound in certain languages.
Adenoids are the masses of soft tissue and are parts of the immune system. These are located behind the nasal cavity and made of lymphoid tissues. The white blood cells circulate through this and react to foreign invaders.
Therefore, the correct answer is “(b) Tonsils”.

Note: Tonsils are prone to infections very easily. Some of the tonsil related infections are acute tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess, acute mononucleosis, strep throat, enlargement of the tonsil, tonsilloliths, etc. Most of them are caused by viruses and bacteria.