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Which of the following statements concerning plasma cells is TRUE?

A) They are descended from activated T cells.
B) They live for many years and function as memory cells.
C) They can produce large quantities of antibodies on a daily basis.
D) The antibodies they produce can remain in circulation for years.
E) They secrete a variety of antibody molecules specific for multiple epitopes.

User Sprose
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The TRUE statement about plasma cells is that they can produce large quantities of antibodies daily. They are terminally differentiated activated B cells, not related to T cells or memory cells, and do not produce long-lasting antibodies themselves.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the given options, the statement that is TRUE about plasma cells is C) They can produce large quantities of antibodies on a daily basis. Plasma cells are activated B cells that have differentiated and are specialized for producing antibodies. They serve as antibody factories, secreting substantial amounts of antibodies to fight off infections, capable of producing up to 100 million antibody molecules per hour.

It's important to differentiate between plasma cells and memory B cells. While plasma cells are involved in the immediate response to an antigen by generating antibodies, memory B cells remain inactive until they are reexposed to the antigen, upon which they can quickly generate a strong immune response. As per the provided information, plasma cells are terminally differentiated, meaning that after producing antibodies for some time, they eventually die since most of their resources are dedicated to antibody production and not to sustaining themselves.

User Wilfredo Pomier
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