True or False: Lymphoid tissue mass increases steadily throughout life.

Lymphoid tissue mass does not increase steadily throughout life; rather, it undergoes changes at various stages. During early life, particularly in infancy and childhood, lymphoid tissue is prominent and actively proliferates as the immune system develops and matures. This is seen in structures like the thymus, lymph nodes, and spleen, which are essential for immune function.

However, as a person ages, particularly after adolescence, there is a trend where lymphoid tissue begins to atrophy or shrink. This involution of lymphoid tissues can be attributed to the maturation of the immune system and the body's changing immune needs. The thymus, for example, significantly reduces in size after puberty. Consequently, the total mass of lymphoid tissue generally peaks during childhood and then decreases in later life stages.

Recognizing these developmental patterns helps explain why the assertion that lymphoid tissue mass increases steadily throughout life is inaccurate.