Which animal lacks both B cells and T cells?

Which animal lacks both B cells and T cells?

• A. Nude Mice
• B. SCID Mice
• C. Beige Mice
• D. Xid Mice

Answer: (B)

Understanding which mouse strain lacks both B and T cells comes down to the specific immunodeficiency profile of each strain. In SCID mice, there is a severe block in the development of mature B and T lymphocytes, so these animals have little to no functional B cells or T cells, though natural killer cells may remain. This makes SCID mice the clear example of lacking both adaptive lymphocyte types. In contrast, nude mice lack a thymus and therefore do not produce mature T cells, but their B cells are still present and functional. Beige mice have normal B and T cell development; the mutation mainly impairs natural killer cell function. Xid mice have a defect in B cell development leading to reduced antibody production, while T cells develop normally. Thus, the strain lacking both B and T cells is SCID.

Understanding which mouse strain lacks both B and T cells comes down to the specific immunodeficiency profile of each strain. In SCID mice, there is a severe block in the development of mature B and T lymphocytes, so these animals have little to no functional B cells or T cells, though natural killer cells may remain. This makes SCID mice the clear example of lacking both adaptive lymphocyte types. In contrast, nude mice lack a thymus and therefore do not produce mature T cells, but their B cells are still present and functional. Beige mice have normal B and T cell development; the mutation mainly impairs natural killer cell function. Xid mice have a defect in B cell development leading to reduced antibody production, while T cells develop normally. Thus, the strain lacking both B and T cells is SCID.