T-cells Flashcards
1
Q
what are T-cells?
A
- AKA T lymphocyte, type of leukocyte (white blood cell)
- essential part of the immune system.
- one of two primary types of lymphocytes—B cells being the second type—that determine the specificity of the immune response to antigens (foreign substances) in the body.
- originate in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus.
2
Q
How do they control immunity?
A
- Regulatory T cells act to control immune reactions, hence their name.
- Cytotoxic T cells, which are activated by various cytokines, bind to and kill infected cells and cancer cells.
- can respond to virtually any antigen
