We just learned about NK Cells.
Another type of lymphocyte is T Cells.
We are looking at:
- the type of blood cells called white blood cells,
- the type of white blood cells called lymphocytes
- the type of lymphocytes called T Cells.
These cells are called T Cells because they are usually found in a part of the body called the thymus, which is right in the middle of your chest behind your sternum.
All white blood cells are made in the bone marrow, but after these T Cells leave the bone marrow they go to the thymus.
T Cells are kind of like NK Cells as they go kill bad viruses that attack your body, but the T Cells are special because they are made to only attack certain types of viruses, where as the NK Cells attack everything.
When the T Cells go to the thymus, the thymus sorts them out and figures out which ones are set up to fight the right kinds of viruses that the body wants to fight, and then if a T Cell is not needed it is thrown away.
The T Cells are sort of like specialized attack soldiers waiting for certain viruses to show up and then they attack.
(from: wikipedia - t cell)
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