Final answer:
If a T cell recognizes a specific protein, it is tested for recognition of the body's own antigens in a process called negative selection. T cells that fail to recognize self-antigens become naïve Tc cells and are allowed to mature, thereby avoiding autoimmune responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a T cell recognizes this protein, it is then tested for recognition of the body's own antigens. This process is known as negative selection. Immature T cells that do not recognize the body's own antigens are called naïve Tc cells and allowed to mature.
T cells develop in the thymus, where they are presented with self-antigens. During this critical phase of development, if a T cell recognizes and binds too strongly to these self-antigens, it is eliminated through a process called apoptosis to prevent potential autoimmune responses where the immune system might attack the body's own cells. The remaining T cells, which do not react to self-antigens but are responsive to foreign antigens presented in association with a self-MHC molecule, become mature, immunocompetent T cells capable of fighting off pathogens.