Final answer:
The immune system generates diverse receptors in B cells and T cells through the recombination of gene segments. DNA recombinase facilitates the rearrangement of V and J segments in B cells, while in T cells the beta chain recombines before the alpha chain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The generation of diversity in the immune response involves the recombination of gene segments in both B cell receptors and T cell receptors. In B cells, the variable region of the light chain is made up of variable (V) and joining (J) gene segments, which undergo rearrangement through the action of an enzyme called DNA recombinase.
This process creates a diverse repertoire of unique antigen-binding sites, necessary for the immune system to recognize a wide array of antigens.
Similarly, the T cell receptor consists of an alpha (α) and a beta (β) chain, both of which have variable (V) and constant (C) regions. For the β chain, diversity is generated through V-D-J recombination, while the α chain undergoes V-J recombination. Although not explicitly stated in the question, it is the beta chain of the TCR that rearranges first, followed by the rearrangement of the alpha chain.