Question

A person who has AIDS contracts rare and often life-threatening infections because their helper T cell count is so low. Which of the following components of the immune response still respond to antigen despite the low helper T cell count?
Clonal selection of B cellsActivation of cytotoxic T cells by helper T cellsagglutination

Answer 1

Answer: CLONAL SELECTION OF B CELLS.

Explanation: B cells are also known as B lymphocytes( a type of white blood cell),when antigens binds to receptors in the cell,B lymphocytes in the body recognizes this antigen and selection is made from the pre-existing pool of different antigens,each with it's unique specification,this B lymphocytes undergo reproduction and from there a clonal population of cells are formed which kills/get rid of the antigen.

These antigens are eliminated by either the plasma cells that form immediately from the B lymphocytes secreting antibodies that fight the antigen,but in AIDS (people living with AIDS),the B lymphocytes that fight the antigen are known as memory B cells which are long lived from the stage of proliferation and are left to fight antigens in later life by forming plasma cells.so even if the helper T cells in AIDS patients are low,the memory B cells are stimulated to form plasma cells,activate antibodies to fight off life threatening infections.