when do the lymphocytes gain their specificity to an antigen -after the entry of the antigen/before it &how?

Question

please be clear and right . no guesses please. site related website if u can

Answer 1

It's a very complicated picture, as you can imagine. But here's the cartoon version:

Although they're helped by monocytes and granulocytes (the first line of defense), the real engine of destruction in the immune system are the lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are made with random sensitivites... in a sense, each is sensitive to a different combination of proteins that something might possess, and because of this collectively they (in theory) react to every possible thing that is made up of proteins, and many that aren't. Lest this weapon of destruction be turned in the wrong direction, they are tested as they are maturing and any lymphocytes that react to 'self' antigens are destroyed.

The remainder float around in very small quanitites in your blood, until they are activated. Once activated, they not only begin sequences that suppress and destroy pathogens, but they also reproduce. This is the basis for 'acquired immunity' - having encountered something once, the amount of lyphocytes sensitive to that SPECIFIC pathogen will dramatically increase, so your second exposure produces a quicker, more specific, deadlier response to it. Further, unlike other components of the immune system, lyphocytes live for years and years, perhaps rivaling only neural tissue in longevity.

So the short, short version of the answer is that lymphocytes are specific to antigens at creation. Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Through receptor molecules on their surfaces, lymphocytes are able to bind antigens (foreign substances or microorganisms that the host recognizes as “nonself”) and help remove them from the body. Each lymphocyte bears receptors that bind to a specific antigen. The ability to respond to virtually any antigen comes from the enormous variety of lymphocyte populations that the body contains, each of them with a receptor capable of recognizing a unique antigen.

Answer 3

after the entry of the antigen