Final answer:
The statement regarding the marginal zone containing specialized resident B cells is true, as the marginal zone in the spleen plays a key role in presenting antigens to lymphocytes and includes marginal zone B cells that respond to blood-borne pathogens.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'The marginal zone contains its own specialized resident B cells' is true. The marginal zone is a region within the spleen, situated between the red pulp and the white pulp. It plays a crucial role in the body's immune response by sequestering particulate antigens from the circulation and presenting these antigens to lymphocytes in the white pulp. The presence of lymphoid follicles, which are the sites of the formation of lymphocytes, have specific B cell-rich and T cell-rich areas. In particular, one of the specialized B cell types that reside in the marginal zone are called marginal zone B cells. They are adept at responding quickly to blood-borne pathogens. It is also important to clarify that while activated B cells produce antibodies as part of the humoral immune response, activated T cells do not produce antibodies; instead, they stimulate the cell-mediated immune response. Additionally, plasma B cells do not phagocytose pathogens but produce large amounts of antibodies, whereas memory B cells retain the information about particular pathogens.