humoral immune response

Question 1

what do B cells do when activated

Answer 1

they clonally proliferate and they differentiate into 2 different types of effector cells

Question 2

what are the 2 types of effector cells that B cells can differentiate into

Answer 2

plasma cells and memory B cell

Question 3

what is the function of plasma cells, and memory B cells

Answer 3

plasma = produce/secrete soluble antigen-specific antibodies

memory B cells = long lived cells that continue to circulate around the body

Question 4

what properties do they have and what happens to the clonally proliferated B cells

Answer 4

they all express the same BCRs(B cell antigen-receptors) as parent B cell, so have same antigen-specificity
they form a second follicle in the B cell zone

Question 5

what is the Germinal Centre

Answer 5

this is the name given to the second follicle formed by clonally proliferated B cells

Question 6

what happens to B cells after they enter the germinal centre

Answer 6

they stop proliferating and differentiate into plasm or memory B cells

Question 7

describe the difference and change between the plasma cells initially and later on in the immune response

Answer 7

initially = low affinity antigen-specific IgM antibodies are secreted by short-lived plasma cells
later on(in germinal centre) = T cells help production and secretion of 'better' antibodies from B cells, and stimulate production of antigen specific memory B cells

Question 8

how do T cells help B cells later on in the adaptive immune response

Answer 8

they switch the B cells from producing low affinity antibodies to high affinity, from production of IgM to IgG antibodies and B cells differentiate from long-lived instead of short-lived plasma cells