Which of the following statements describe a component of the clonal selection theory of how the adaptive immune system functions?
I. Each lymphocyte has a unique membrane receptor that recognizes one antigen.
II. When the lymphocyte binds an antigen, it is activated and begins dividing to form many identical copies of itself.
III. Cloned lymphocytes have slight differences and are selected by the spleen for removal if they do not bind an antigen.
IV. Cloned cells descend from an activated lymphocyte and persist even after the pathogen is eliminated.
A) only I and III
B) only II and IV
C) I, II, and IV
D) II, III, and IV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The clonal selection theory includes the concepts that each lymphocyte has a unique receptor (I), lymphocytes clone themselves upon activation by an antigen (II), and some of these cloned cells remain as memory cells after the pathogen is eliminated (IV). Statement III is incorrect because it misrepresents the selection process, which is not about the spleen selecting cells based on their ability to bind antigens but rather about the activation and proliferation of those lymphocytes that have successfully bound an antigen.

Which of the Following Statements Describe a Component of the Clonal