Biology · Human Health and Diseases · NEET
About 50 per cent. NCERT says MALT makes up about 50% of the lymphoid tissue in the human body. This is a favourite one-line NEET fact. Remember only the number 50%; NCERT gives no other value like 20% or 70%.
MALT is a SECONDARY lymphoid organ. Primary lymphoid organs are only two: bone marrow and thymus (where lymphocytes are made and mature). Secondary organs (spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, Peyer's patches, appendix, and MALT) are where mature lymphocytes meet antigens. So MALT is a site of interaction, not of production.
MALT lies within the lining (mucosa) of the three major tracts: the respiratory tract, the digestive tract, and the urogenital tract. These are the surfaces open to the outside world, where pathogens enter first. That is why so much immune tissue is placed here.
MALT = Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue. 'Mucosa' is the moist inner lining of tracts, and 'lymphoid tissue' means tissue containing lymphocytes. So the name itself tells you it is immune tissue attached to the mucosal linings.
Both are secondary lymphoid organs, but lymph nodes are small solid structures at junctions of the lymphatic system that trap antigens from lymph and tissue fluid. MALT is diffuse lymphoid tissue spread along the mucosal lining of the respiratory, digestive, and urogenital tracts. MALT alone is about 50% of all lymphoid tissue.
MALT constitutes about ___________ percent of the lymphoid tissue in human body.
After maturation in primary lymphoid organs, the lymphocytes migrate for interaction with antigens to secondary lymphoid organ(s)/tissue(s) like: A. thymus B. bone marrow C. spleen D. lymph nodes E. Peyer's patches
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Peyer's patches are one example of MALT, found in the wall of the small intestine. MALT is the broad term for all such lymphoid tissue in the mucosal linings of the respiratory, digestive, and urogenital tracts. So Peyer's patches are a part of MALT, not a separate thing.
MALT gives an easy direct fact: it is about 50% of the body's lymphoid tissue and it is a secondary lymphoid organ. NEET has asked both the 50% figure (2017) and the primary-vs-secondary sorting (2025, ReNEET 2026), so both points are high-yield.
No. Lymphocytes are produced in the bone marrow and mature in the bone marrow and thymus (the primary organs). MALT, being secondary, only provides a site where mature lymphocytes meet antigens and start an immune response.
Tonsils are secondary lymphoid tissue guarding the throat entrance and are closely related to MALT. In NCERT they are listed as secondary lymphoid organs. For NEET, remember tonsils, Peyer's patches, spleen, lymph nodes, appendix and MALT are all secondary.
