Editing Plasma cell (section)

{{Short description|White blood cell that secretes large volumes of antibodies}}
{{Distinguish|blood plasma}}
{{Infobox cell
| Name        = Plasma cell
| Latin       = plasmocytus
| Image       = Plasmacytoma ultramini1.jpg
| Caption     = Micrograph of malignant '''plasma cells''' ([[plasmacytoma]]), many displaying characteristic "clockface nuclei", also seen in normal plasma cells. [[H&E stain]].
| Image2      = Plasmacell.jpg
| Caption2    = Micrograph of a plasma cell with distinct clear perinuclear region of the cytoplasm, which contains large numbers of [[Golgi bodies]].
| Precursor   =
| System      = [[Lymphatic system]]
}}

'''Plasma cells''', also called '''plasma B cells''' or '''effector B cells''', are [[white blood cells]] that originate in the [[lymphoid organs]] as [[B cell]]s<ref>Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology 14th edition: unit 6, chapter 35.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/plasma-cell|title = Plasma Cell - an overview &#124; ScienceDirect Topics}}</ref> and secrete large quantities of proteins called [[antibodies]] in response to being presented specific substances called [[antigen]]s. These antibodies are transported from the plasma cells by the [[blood plasma]] and the [[lymphatic system]] to the site of the target antigen (foreign substance), where they initiate its neutralization or destruction. B cells differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibody molecules closely modeled after the receptors of the precursor B cell.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/science/plasma-cell|title=Plasma cell - biology|website=britannica.com}}</ref>