Question

multiple choice question
which cell phagocytizes an antigen and displays fragments of it on its surface?

• effector t lymphocyte
• antigen - presenting cell
• anergic cell
• naive t lymphocyte

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Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Effector T lymphocyte: These cells act against infected cells, not phagocytize and present antigens.
• Antigen - presenting cell (APC): By definition, APCs (like macrophages, dendritic cells) phagocytize antigens, process them, and display antigen fragments on their surface to activate other immune cells.
• Anergic cell: These are unresponsive immune cells, not involved in antigen phagocytosis and presentation.
• Naive T lymphocyte: These are T cells that haven't encountered an antigen yet and don't perform phagocytosis or antigen presentation.

So the cell that phagocytizes an antigen and displays its fragments is the antigen - presenting cell.

Answer:

B. Antigen - presenting cell