Lymphoid System I Flashcards
What are the primary lymphoid organs?
Thymus and bone marrow
What are the secondary lymphoid organs?
Lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, epithelial/mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.
What are the secondary lymphoid organs designed to do?
Designed to maximize exposure of foreign antigens to the immunocompetent cells.
What cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity?
T-lymphocytes
What cells are responsible for humoral immunity?
B-lymphocytes
What cells differentiate to become plasma cells for Ig synthesis?
B-cells
What are antigen presenting cells (APCs)?
Phagocytic cells that take up and process antigens, then present the antigens to T-lymphocytes.
Where are B cells made?
Bone marrow
What does “bursal equivalent” refer to?
The pockets in the bone marrow that make B cells (derived from bursa of Fabricius in birds)
Where are T-lymphocytes made?
Bone marrow. They are educated in the thymus
What percentage of T cells make it through the selection process?
Only 5%
What causes the “starry sky” appearance of the thymus?
Macrophages that clear out all the apoptosed T cells create spaces where nuclei of the T cells are less dense.
What do the epithelial reticular cells (ERCs) do? Do they have reticular fibers?
They provide mechanical support for developing cells in the thymus. They do NOT have reticular fibers.
What is the CT septa?
The thymus lobes’ equivalent to the perimysium
What does the Thymic cortex do?
Contains ERCs for mechanical support, produces thymic hormones thymosin and thymopoietin, promotes T cell maturation, education of thymocytes (self vs non-self), and formation of the blood-thymus barrier.