Neonatal thymectomy leads to -
1.Decreased size of germinal center
2.Decreased size of paracortical areas
3.Increased antibody production by B cell
4.Increased bone morrow production of lymphocytes
Explanation
T cells origin and maturation
T cells originate in the bone marrow, fetal liver and yolk sac and mature in thymus.
T cell precursors from the yolk sac, fetal liver and bone marrow migrate to the thymus during embryonic and postnatal life.
Maturity of T-cells takes place in the thymus.
After maturity T-lymphocytes are selectively seeded into certain sites of the peripheral lymphatic tissues, known as “thymus - dependent regions”.
Thymus dependent regions are -
-
Paracortical area of lymph node.
-
White pulp of the spleen, around the central arteriole.
After neonatal thymectomy, the source of mature T cells (thymus) will be absent. As a result the thymus dependent regions of peripheral lymphoid organs will be depleted of T cells.