Understanding the Anatomy and Function of Lymph Nodes

6. The Cortex

The outer portion of the lymph node is the cortex. It possesses an outer area and a deeper paracortex. Within the superficial area are many follicles that consist of a multitude of rapidly dividing B cells. If an antigen challenges the B cells in the cortex, the B cells may begin to divide further and create plasma cells. The deeper paracortex contains mostly T cells that may interact with dendritic cells. The main purpose of dendritic cells is to process antigens and then use them to trigger T cells. The dendritic cells act as a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems.