A Newborn Who is Accidentally Given a Drug That Destroys

Question

A newborn who is accidentally given a drug that destroys the thymus would most likely
A) have a reduced number of B cells and be unable to form antibodies.
B) lack innate immunity.
C) lack class I major histocompatability MHC) molecules on cell surfaces.
D) be unable to differentiate and mature T cells.
E) be unable to genetically rearrange antigen receptors.

Accepted Answer

The thymus is where T cells differentiate and mature. If the thymus is destroyed by a drug, the newborn would be unable to differentiate and mature T cells, leading to a lack of adaptive immunity. This would most likely result in increased susceptibility to infections, especially viral infections, which are typically controlled by T cells. The other choices are incorrect because B cells develop in the bone marrow, innate immunity does not rely on the thymus, MHC molecules are not directly affected by thymus function, and genetic rearrangement of antigen receptors occurs in both B and T cells.