What Good Are Your Tonsils?

Your tonsils are small masses of tissue located at the back of your mouth in your throat. Because this tissue manufactures germ-fighting white blood cells, it is able to trap harmful bacteria that may enter your nose and mouth when you breathe. Fighting infection is the normal work of your tonsils, since they are the first part of your body in line to catch the germs.

However, when your tonsils become infected, they may almost block your entire throat. Serious or frequent infections of the tonsils often require a tonsillectomy, an operation to remove the diseased tonsils.

Your tonsils are larger than your parents' tonsils!