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)lack class I MHC molecules on cell surfaces.
B)lack humoral immunity.
C)be unable to genetically rearrange antigen receptors.
D)be unable to differentiate and mature T cells.
E)have a reduced number of B cells and be unable to form antibodies.

Accepted Answer

The thymus is the site of T cell maturation, so destruction of the thymus would result in the inability to differentiate and mature T cells. This would result in a lack of cellular immunity, as T cells are crucial to this aspect of the immune system. The other answer choices are not directly related to the function of the thymus.