plasma cell
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of white blood cell: A plasma cell is a specialized immune cell that develops from a B lymphocyte (B cell) after it is activated by encountering a specific antigen.
- Antibody producer: Its primary function is to manufacture and secrete large amounts of antibodies (immunoglobulins) targeted against that specific antigen.
Usage
- Noun:
- The presence of plasma cells in the bone marrow is a normal part of the immune response.
- Under the microscope, the pathologist identified the abnormal plasma cells characteristic of the disease.
Advanced Usage
- "Plasma cell dyscrasia": A medical term for a group of diseases, including multiple myeloma, characterized by the abnormal, often cancerous, proliferation of plasma cells.
- The patient was diagnosed with a plasma cell dyscrasia.
- "Plasma cell leukemia": A rare and aggressive form of leukemia where malignant plasma cells are found in the bloodstream.
- Plasma cell leukemia has a different prognosis than multiple myeloma.
Variants and Related Words
- Plasmablast (n): An immature, dividing cell that is an intermediate stage between an activated B cell and a mature, antibody-secreting plasma cell.
- Plasmablasts can be found in the blood during an active immune response.
- Plasmacytoma (n): A localized tumor consisting of neoplastic plasma cells.
- A solitary plasmacytoma of bone was detected on the X-ray.
Synonyms
- Plasmacyte: A less common synonym for plasma cell.
- Effector B cell: A functional description highlighting its role as an activated, antibody-producing cell.
Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)
- Antibody (n): The protein molecule secreted by plasma cells to neutralize pathogens.
- B lymphocyte / B cell (n): The precursor cell from which a plasma cell develops.
- Memory B cell (n): Another cell type that develops from an activated B cell; it persists long-term to provide rapid immunity upon re-exposure to the same antigen, unlike the typically short-lived plasma cell.
Noun
-
a cell that develops from a B lymphocyte in reaction to a specific antigen; found in bone marrow and sometimes in the blood
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