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Congenital hypotrichosis is a disease of the immune system in cats - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 8 - 2010 - Paper 1
Question 8
Congenital hypotrichosis is a disease of the immune system in cats. Cats with the disease fail to develop a functional thymus. It is reasonable to assume that such ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Congenital hypotrichosis is a disease of the immune system in cats - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 8 - 2010 - Paper 1
Step 1
B. helper cells for cellular immunity.
Answer
Congenital hypotrichosis results in an underdeveloped thymus, which is crucial for the maturation of T cells, specifically helper T cells (CD4+ T cells). These cells play a key role in coordinating the immune response, including the activation of other immune cells such as B cells and cytotoxic T cells. A deficiency in helper T cells compromises cellular immunity, making it likely that cats with this condition would lack sufficient helper cells.