Plasma cells

Plasma cells, also known as plasmocytes, are a type of white blood cell and a component of the immune system. They are produced in the bone marrow and play a crucial role in the body's defense against diseases and infections.

Function[edit | edit source]

Plasma cells are responsible for producing antibodies, which are proteins that can recognize and neutralize foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses. Each plasma cell produces a single type of antibody. When the body is exposed to a foreign substance, or antigen, the plasma cells that can produce the corresponding antibody multiply and release large amounts of the antibody into the bloodstream.

Development[edit | edit source]

Plasma cells develop from B cells, a type of white blood cell. When a B cell encounters an antigen, it engulfs the antigen and presents fragments of it on its surface. These fragments are recognized by T cells, another type of white blood cell, which then stimulate the B cell to divide and differentiate into plasma cells.

Diseases[edit | edit source]

Abnormalities in plasma cells can lead to various diseases. For example, multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that arises from plasma cells in the bone marrow. In this disease, the cancerous plasma cells produce large amounts of a single type of antibody, known as a monoclonal antibody, which can be detected in the blood.

Plasmacytoma is another disease that involves plasma cells. It is a tumor of plasma cells that can occur in any part of the body, but most commonly in the bone marrow.

See also[edit | edit source]

Plasma cells Resources
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