Question

B cells can develop a vast repertoire of antigenic specificities. B-lymphocytes arise from hematopoietic stem cells that commit to the B cell lineage in response to signals from a variety of soluble factors, and as a result of interactions with cells in their environment. Where can immature B cells interact with self-molecules?

Peyer's patch
Spleen
Bone marrow
Thymus
Stroma

Answer 1

Immature B cells interact with self-molecules in the bone marrow, where initial maturation occurs and negative selection ensures the elimination of potentially self-reactive cells. The correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

B cells, or B lymphocytes, are key components of the adaptive immune response, whose specialization involves the production of antibodies.

Immature B cells interact with self-molecules predominantly in the bone marrow, where the initial stages of maturation occur. This is the location where immature B cells can potentially bind to self-antigens and are subject to negative selection processes, which ensure that B cells that react strongly to self-antigens are eliminated, to minimize the risk of autoimmune responses.

Those B cells that survive this selection process then migrate to areas such as the spleen to complete maturation into naïve mature B cells, ready to respond to foreign antigens.