Final answer:
The white pulp of the spleen surrounds the central arterioles and is involved in the adaptive immune response, forming cuffs around the central arteries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The white pulp of the spleen forms cuffs around the central arteries. The spleen can be compared to a large lymph node that is specialized in filtering blood rather than lymph. Within the spleen, there are two main types of tissues: the red pulp and the white pulp. When blood enters the spleen through the arteries, it is filtered through these two components. The red pulp functions as a storage for blood and serves as a site where damaged red blood cells are removed and replaced. On the other hand, the white pulp is rich in lymphocytes that are crucial for the immune response, removing antigen-coated bacteria from the blood and surrounding the central arterioles.
The white pulp is organized around the central arteries, where it forms germinal centers that involve dividing B cells surrounded by a layer of T cells and other accessory cells like macrophages and dendritic cells. This structure facilitates the spleen's role in the adaptive immune response to antigens in the blood. Therefore, the correct answer to the blank in the student's question would be 'The white pulp of the spleen forms cuffs around the central arteries.'