The tonsils are part of the bodys immune system and are located at the throat and palate. They can stop germs from entering the body through the mouth or the nose and contain a lot of white blood cells, which are responsible for killing germs. There are different types of tonsils, including the palatine tonsils, adenoids, and lingual tonsil. The palatine tonsils are the only tonsils that can be seen unaided when you open your mouth, and they can become inflamed, causing tonsillitis. The adenoids are found high up in the throat, behind the nose, and can only be seen through rhinoscopy. The lingual tonsil is located far back at the base of the tongue, on its back surface. All of these tonsillar structures together are sometimes called Waldeyers ring since they form a ring around the opening to the throat from the mouth and nose. The main function of tonsils is to fight infection by trapping germs that enter the body through the mouth or nose and producing antibodies that kill these pathogens before they can spread to the rest of the body. Although tonsils and adenoids may help to prevent infection, they are not considered to be very important, and the body has other means of preventing infection and fighting off bacteria and viruses.