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Dendrite cells are activated in the tissues when they encounter the pathogens, activated DCs travel to the thymus to activate naive B cells

a. true
b. false

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Dendritic cells, upon activation, travel to the lymph nodes to present antigens to naive T cells, not to the thymus to activate B cells, making the statement false.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that dendritic cells (DCs) travel to the thymus to activate naive B cells is false. Once dendritic cells are activated in the tissues after encountering pathogens, they travel to the lymph nodes, not the thymus. There, they present antigens to naive T cells, not B cells, using Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules. This interaction leads to the activation of naive T cells. Specifically, naive CD4+ T cells engage with MHC II molecules presented by DCs and become activated. These activated helper T cells can then help activate B cells and CD8+ T cells, which can differentiate into cytotoxic T cells capable of killing infected cells.

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