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

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

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

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

• B cell
• T cell
• Antibody
• Antigen
• Multiple myeloma
• Plasmacytoma

Plasma cells Resources
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