Lymphocytes: Types & Roles (Edexcel International A Level Biology) : Revision Note

Lymphocytes: Types & Roles

• There are two types of lymphocyte that play a particular role in the specific immune response

  • T cells

  • B cells

• Note that lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell

T cells

• T cells, sometimes known as T lymphocytes, are produced in the bone marrow and finish maturing in the thymus, which is where the T in their name comes from

• Mature T cells have specific cell surface receptors called T cell receptors

• These receptors have a similar structure to antibodies and are each specific to a particular type of antigen

Mature T cells have many different types of receptor on the cell surface membrane; these receptors will bind to different antigens on antigen presenting cells

• T cells are activated when they encounter and bind to their specific antigen on the surface of an antigen presenting cell 

  • This antigen-presenting cell might be a macrophage, an infected body cell, or the pathogen itself

• These activated T cells divide by mitosis to increase in number

  • Dividing by mitosis produces genetically identical cells, or clones, so all of the daughter cells will have the same type of T cell receptor on their surface 

• There are three main types of T cell

  • T helper cells

    • Release chemical signalling molecules that help to activate B cells

    • Release chemical signalling molecules that help to activate T killer cells

    • Release chemicals called cytokines, that label pathogens and infected cells for phagocytosis

  • T killer cells

    • Bind to and destroy infected cells displaying the relevant specific antigen

  • T memory cells

    • Remain in the blood and enable a faster specific immune response if the same pathogen is encountered again in the future

B cells

• B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, are a second type of white blood cell in the specific immune response

  • B cells remain in the bone marrow as they mature, hence the B in their name

• B cells have many specific receptors on their cell surface membrane

  • The receptors are in fact antibodies, and are known as antibody receptors

  • Each B cell has a different type of antibody receptor, meaning that each B cell can bind to a different type of antigen

Mature B cells each have different types of antibody receptors on their cell surface membrane

• If the corresponding antigen enters the body, B cells with the correct cell surface antibodies will be able to recognise it and bind to it 

  • When the B cell binds to an antigen it forms an antigen-antibody complex

• The binding of the B cell to its specific antigen, along with the cell signalling molecules produced by T helper cells, activates the B cell

• Once activated the B cells divide repeatedly by mitosis, producing many clones of the original activated B cell

• There are two main types of B cell

  • Effector cells, which differentiate into plasma cells

    • Plasma cells produce specific antibodies to combat non-self antigens

  • Memory cells

    • Remain in the blood to allow a faster immune response to the same pathogen in the future

During a primary immune response B cells divide by mitosis to form plasma cells and memory cells. Note that a primary response occurs the first time an individual comes into contact with a particular pathogen