cortex of the thymus

Positive selection for T cells is induced in the cortex of the thymus.

Thymic nurse cells are epithelial cells in cortex of the thymus that bind and internalize double positive T cells.

Skin Langerhans cells express CD1a as do cortical thymocytes (cells of the cortex of the thymus gland).

As a result, T-cells are formed in the bone marrow and subsequently migrate to the cortex of the thymus where they can mature in an antigen-free environment.

T cells are formed in bone marrow then migrate to the cortex of the thymus to undergo maturation in an antigen-free environment for about one week where a mere 2-4% of the T cells succeed.

As the T cells migrate from the cortex of the thymus to the medulla, they come into contact with many epithelial reticular cells, and if they recognise self proteins as a pathogen, then the epithelial cells destroy them.