Question

Swelling of tonsils indicates

• A. deficiency of iodine in the body
• B. the presence of food stored in them
• C. that they are infected with pathogens
• D. both b and c

Answer 1

The correct option is C that they are infected with pathogens

The ability of the body to protect itself against all types of pathogens (e.g, bacteria, viruses, protozoans, etc) which enter the body is called immunity.

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cells in our body that can provide immunity against specific antigens. The part of the pathogen that can trigger an immune response in the body is called antigen.

The lymphocytes originate, mature and proliferate in specialised organs in the body known as the lymphoid organs. Organs such as the bone marrow (soft spongy tissue of the long bones) and the thymus (lobed organ located near the heart and beneath the breastbone) are the sites of origin and maturation of the lymphocytes and are known as the primary lymphoid organs.

The secondary lymphoid organs are the sites where the lymphocytes migrate after maturation, interact with antigens (foreign substances that can trigger immune responses in the body) and proliferate (multiply by cell division and differentiate into various cell types).

Tonsils are the secondary lymphoid organs situated near the entrance of the digestive and respiratory tracts. The lymphocytes migrate to the tonsils after their maturation. Being a secondary lymphoid organ, it traps the foreign bodies that enter through the nose or the mouth. Binding of the lymphocytes to the antigens via their surface receptors triggers a cascade of immunological reactions that ultimately help in elimination of the antigens from the body.

Infection of tonsils with pathogens leads to heightened immunological response in them which causes inflammation of tissues. Inflammation is characterised by an increased supply of blood and lymph to the tonsils via dilated blood and lymph vessels. This helps in bringing more lymphocytes and phagocytic cells (cells like neutrophils and macrophages that engulf and kill foreign bodies) to the site for eliminating the antigens. This causes redness in the tonsils and the accumulation of the body fluids leads to swelling.
Thus, swelling of the tonsils indicates that they are infected with pathogens.


Tonsils have no role in food storage. The deficiency of iodine in the body leads to the swelling of the throat due to the enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland that requires iodine to produce a hormone called thyroxine.

Deficiency of iodine leads to less secretion of thyroxine which in turn causes the enlargement of the thyroid gland.