A specialized white blood cell that produces and secretes large amounts of antibodies. These cells develop from B lymphocytes after exposure to antigens and are the body's antibody factories.
Named after blood plasma where antibodies circulate, the term was established in the early 1900s. 'Plasma' comes from Greek meaning 'something molded,' reflecting how these cells are shaped by their antibody-producing function.
Plasma cells are the ultimate specialists - they've given up almost everything else to become antibody-making machines! Their cytoplasm is packed so full of antibody-producing machinery that they look like fried eggs under the microscope, with a characteristic 'clock-face' nucleus pattern.
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