Two prominent, rounded bodies of lymphatic tissue, the palatine tonsils, are located on each side of the |tongue| at the back of the |mouth| in the |pharynx| (throat). They lie beneath the |mucous membrane| lining |mouth| and are closely associated with the soft palate (roof of the |mouth|). They vary in size in different individuals and are a small part of the body's protection against ~infection~. The tonsils contain germ-killing cells. When they become infected, they become inflamed in a condition known as tonsillitis. The tonsils and adenoids (also located in the |pharynx|) are two pairs of organs that seem to give more trouble than service to the body.
