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The thymus (pl.: thymuses or thymi) is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or T cells mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. The thymus is located in the upper front part of the chest, in the anterior ...
Contents. T cell. T cells are one of the important types of white blood cells of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell receptor (TCR) on their cell surface. T cells are born from hematopoietic stem cells, [ 1 ] found in the bone ...
All T cells derive from progenitor cells in the bone marrow, which become committed to their lineage in the thymus.All T cells begin as CD4-CD8-TCR- cells at the DN (double-negative) stage, where an individual cell will rearrange its T cell receptor genes to form a unique, functional molecule, which they, in turn, test against cells in the thymic cortex for a minimal level of interaction with ...
The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the AIRE gene. [5] It is a 13 kbp gene on chromosome 21q22.3 that encodes 545 amino acids. [6] AIRE is a transcription factor expressed in the medulla (inner part) of the thymus. It is part of the mechanism which eliminates self-reactive T cells that would cause ...
Thymocyte. A thymocyte is an immune cell present in the thymus, before it undergoes transformation into a T cell. [1] Thymocytes are produced as stem cells in the bone marrow and reach the thymus via the blood. Thymopoiesis describes the process which turns thymocytes into mature T cells according to either negative or positive selection.
Cortical thymic epithelial cells. A figure depicting the process of T cell / thymocyte positive and negative selection in the thymus. cTEC shown in yellow. Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) form unique parenchyma cell population of the thymus which critically contribute to the development of T cells. Thymus tissue is compartmentalized ...
The blood–thymus barrier regulates exchange of substances between the circulatory system and thymus, providing a sequestered environment for immature T cells to develop. . The barrier also prevents the immature T cells from contacting foreign antigens (since contact with antigens at this stage will cause the T cells to die by apoptos
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are specialized cells with high degree of anatomic, phenotypic and functional heterogeneity that are located in the outer layer (epithelium) of the thymic stroma. The thymus, as a primary lymphoid organ, mediates T cell development and maturation. The thymic microenvironment is established by TEC network filled ...