Thymectomy causes -

• In adult life, thymectomy has no demonstrable effect on antibody response or upon homograft survival. • However, it has been shown that thymectomy in adult mice, combined with total body irradiation, can result in homograft tolerance of a high degree. • This finding suggests that the thymus gland may resume its perceptor function in adult life under circumstances in which there is temporary suppression of the lymphopoietic system.