Question
Which pharyngeal pouch is likely responsible for defective development if a child is found to lack the thymus and inferior parathyroid glands?
| A. |
1 |
| B. |
2 |
| C. |
3 |
| D. |
4 |
Show Answer
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Correct Answer � C Explanation |
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The third pharyngeal pouch gives rise to the thymus and the inferior parathyroid glands during development.
If this pouch fails to develop properly, both structures may be absent or underdeveloped, leading to immunodeficiency (due to lack of a thymus) and issues with calcium homeostasis (due to lack of parathyroid glands). This is typically seen in conditions like DiGeorge syndrome.
