Where do NK cells develop and mature?

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Multiple Choice

Where do NK cells develop and mature?

Explanation:
Natural killer cells originate from hematopoietic stem cells in the red bone marrow. They differentiate along a lymphoid lineage in the marrow and mature there under cues such as IL-15, which is essential for their development. Once mature, NK cells circulate and reside in tissues where they can quickly attack virally infected or transformed cells. The thymus is the development site for T cells, not NK cells, so it’s not where NK cells mature. The liver participates in blood formation during fetal life, but in adults the primary site for NK-cell development and maturation is the bone marrow. The spleen can host NK cells, but it isn’t the site where maturation completes.

Natural killer cells originate from hematopoietic stem cells in the red bone marrow. They differentiate along a lymphoid lineage in the marrow and mature there under cues such as IL-15, which is essential for their development. Once mature, NK cells circulate and reside in tissues where they can quickly attack virally infected or transformed cells. The thymus is the development site for T cells, not NK cells, so it’s not where NK cells mature. The liver participates in blood formation during fetal life, but in adults the primary site for NK-cell development and maturation is the bone marrow. The spleen can host NK cells, but it isn’t the site where maturation completes.

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