Which immune cells function as the central coordinators of both innate and adaptive immune responses and help destroy cells infected with intracellular pathogens?

• A. B lymphocytes
• B. T lymphocytes
• C. Natural killer cells
• D. Dendritic cells

Answer: (B)

T lymphocytes act as the central coordinators because they connect innate signals to adaptive responses and also execute targeted killing of infected cells. Helper T cells coordinate the immune response by releasing cytokines that activate macrophages, support B cell antibody production, and promote the proliferation of other T cells, shaping the overall defense. Cytotoxic T cells directly destroy cells harboring intracellular pathogens by releasing perforin and granzymes or engaging death receptors, eliminating the infected targets. This combination of orchestration and direct cytotoxic action is what makes T cells the main coordinators of the immune response against intracellular invaders. B cells focus on antibody production, NK cells are part of innate defense, and dendritic cells initiate adaptive responses but do not themselves carry out the direct killing of infected cells.