Final answer:
T cells, also known as T lymphocytes, are the white blood cells produced in the bone marrow that mature in the thymus, where they develop receptors for recognizing specific antigens.
Step-by-step explanation:
The white blood cells produced in the bone marrow that mature in the thymus to develop receptors for a single form of antigen are known as T cells or T lymphocytes. These cells are crucial for the adaptive immune response in the body. The process of T cell production starts in the bone marrow, where hematopoietic stem cells differentiate into lymphoid stem cells, which then become small immature lymphocytes, sometimes referred to as lymphoblasts. Post differentiation, these immature T cells, now called thymocytes, travel to the thymus for further maturation.
In the thymus, thymocytes undergo several critical developmental steps — a combination of positive and negative selection processes — to ensure that they can properly recognize foreign antigens without reacting against the body's own tissues. This maturation includes the development of T cell receptors (TCRs) on their surfaces. T cells with TCRs that bind too strongly to the body's own proteins are eliminated, a process that helps prevent autoimmune reactions. Mature T cells leave the thymus and circulate through the body, particularly the lymph, blood, and secondary lymphoid organs like the spleen and lymph nodes.