Re: What is the difference between the tonsils and the uvula?

This is a good question Sarah! Well, according to Wheater’s Functional Histology, the main difference between the tonsils and the uvula is that the tonsils are large non-encapsulated masses of lymphoid tissue located in the back of the oral cavity. This basically means that the tonsils help the body fight foreign material, such as bacteria. They do this by providing a site from which the body can mount an immune reaction against invaders - just like a fort or similar defensive site.

The uvula, on the other hand, is a muscular flap of tissue that hangs down from the back of the mouth from a structure called the soft palate. The soft palate is part of what separates the mouth (oral cavity) from the nose and the back of the throat (nasopharynx). The main purpose of the uvula is to close of the nasopharynx when you are swallowing or speaking. As far as I can tell, the uvula has no immunological functions.

I hope this adequately answers your question.

Benjamin Walker, Ph.D.

(from: Medicine Net Medical Dictionary)