Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions.
Salmonella typhi is a pathogenic bacterium which causes typhoid fever in human beings. Sustained high fever (39° to 40°C), weakness, stomach pain, constipation, headache and loss of appetite are some of the common symptoms of this disease. Typhoid fever could be confirmed by Widal test. Plasmodium enters the human body as sporozoites. The parasites initially multiply within the liver cells and then attack the red blood cells (RBCs) resulting in their rupture. The rupture of RBCs is associated with release of a toxic substance, haemozoin, which is responsible for the chill and high fever recurring every three to four days. There is lymphoid tissue also located within the lining of the major tracts (respiratory, digestive and urogenital tracts) called mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). In our body, cell growth and differentiation is highly controlled and regulated. In cancer cells, there is breakdown of regulatory mechanisms. Normal cells show a property called contact inhibition by virtue of which contact with other cells inhibits their uncontrolled growth. Cancerous cells just continue to divide giving rise to masses of cells called tumors. Tumors are of two types: benign and malignant. Cannabinoids are a group of chemicals, which interact with cannabinoid receptors present principally in the brain. Generally taken by inhalation and oral ingestion, these are known for their effects on cardiovascular system of the body.
Which one of the following structures constitute about 50 percent of the lymphoid tissue in the human body?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Mucosa associated lymphoid tissue
Option (1) Mucosa associated lymphoid tissue — Correct. MALT lies in the lining of the respiratory, digestive and urogenital tracts. Most microbes enter the body through these tracts, so the lymphocytes spread through this lining meet them at the point of entry.
Option (2) Bone marrow — Incorrect. The bone marrow is a primary lymphoid organ inside the bones. All blood cells, lymphocytes included, are produced here. It is not the tissue in the lining of the body’s tracts.
Option (3) Thymus — Incorrect. The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ near the heart, beneath the breastbone. T-lymphocytes mature here. It is large at birth and keeps shrinking with age, so it is a small organ in the adult.
Option (4) Lymph node — Incorrect. Lymph nodes are small solid structures along the lymphatic system. They catch microbes and other antigens carried in the lymph and tissue fluid. They are secondary lymphoid organs, separate from the lymphoid tissue that lines the tracts.
Note: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.
NCERT Extract:
Immune System in the Body – …
