Plasma cell

Plasma cells are formed from the differentiation of B-lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and can be short lived, surviving only a couple of days, or long lived, surviving a whole lifetime. Plasma cells can secrete thousands of antibodies into the blood and lymph and therefore act as a great defense mechanism after invading pathogens have entered the body. The production of antibodies gradually decreases as the pathogen is continually destroyed resulting in recovery after infection. Antibody molecules bind to target antigens because they have a complementary shape and so they form very specific antigen-antibody complexes. Many of these complexes can clump together in the body and make it easier for phagocytes to detect the antigens and destroy them - this process is known as aggultination.

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