WHAT ARE YOUR TONSILS FOR?
You might not pay them much attention until you get sick, but these lymph nodes at the back of the mouth can shield you from illness
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
If you stand in front of a mirror and open your mouth wide, at the back of your throat you should be able to see two pink lumps of tissue poking out from the flesh at the sides. These are your tonsils, which are vital tools of the immune system. Tonsils work to defend the body from infection by trapping, detecting and fighting bacteria, viruses and other harmful intruders. The trapping of these infection-causing cells is assisted by the structure of the organs, as they are covered in crevices called crypts. When bacteria and viruses enter the mouth or nose, they are likely to come into contact with the tonsils.