Final answer:
The term 'anergy' accurately describes a state where self-reactive lymphocytes fail to respond to antigenic stimulation, which is true. It is a key mechanism in maintaining peripheral tolerance and preventing autoimmune diseases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term anergy is indeed associated with the immunological state where a lymphocyte, which may be self-reactive, fails to respond to antigenic stimulation. This is a true statement, as anergy is a critical aspect of peripheral tolerance, a mechanism that helps to prevent autoimmune diseases by rendering self-reactive T cells nonresponsive in the absence of an essential co-stimulatory signal. This lack of response helps to maintain self-tolerance and prevent the immune system from attacking the body's own tissues.
In addition to anergy, peripheral tolerance also involves the suppression of self-reactive T cells by regulatory T cells, which aid in maintaining immune homeostasis. Clonal anergy is another related concept, which pertains to B cells that encounter soluble antigens in the bone marrow and are made nonfunctional without the necessary second signal, thereby preventing inappropriate activation against self-antigens.