The full form of MALT is Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.
Understanding MALT
MALT is a crucial part of the body's defense system. It's essentially lymphoid tissue scattered along the mucosal linings in the body [1, 2, 3]. These linings are found in areas like the:
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Respiratory tract
- Urogenital tract
MALT serves as a primary defense against antigens entering the body through these mucosal surfaces, where it's the most extensive component of human lymphoid tissue. It protects the body from a wide variety of antigens [1, 2, 3].
In summary, MALT plays a key role in mucosal immunity.