Final answer:
Activated B lymphocyte cells proliferate and mainly differentiate into plasma cells, which produce specific antibodies against antigens. Plasma cells are crucial in the immune response and play a role in producing memory B cells for long-term immunity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Once B lymphocyte cells encounter their antigen match, they are activated and immediately start to proliferate. During this process, they differentiate into various cell types. The majority of these activated B cells become plasma cells, which are also known as attack cells due to their role in producing antibodies.
Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that specifically bind to antigens, which are molecules on the pathogen that the immune system recognizes as foreign. This antigen-antibody interaction is vital for priming the immune response, leading to the eventual destruction of the pathogen. These plasma cells leave the secondary lymphoid organs, such as lymph nodes, and often migrate to the bone marrow where they were initially differentiated from progenitor cells. Their primary function is to secrete antibodies specific to the antigens they were activated by.
After their activation, B cells also produce memory B cells. These cells have a long lifespan and provide rapid and robust antibody-mediated immunity upon re-exposure to the same antigen in the future.