Microbiology and Immunology 2500A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: B Cell, Epitope, Antigen

• School: Western University
• Department: Microbiology and Immunology
• Course: Microbiology and Immunology 2500A/B
• Professor: Kelly Summers

Document Summary

Primary response generates effector cells and memory cells. Some daughter cells become effector cells (plasma cells) and some become memory b cells. Plasma cell is the end stage of a b cell. So, to attack one pathogen, different b cells, each binding to its unique antigenic epitope, will clonally expand and become plasma cells that secrete antibodies and memory b cells. You can have multiple b cells with unique specificity binding to the same antigen. If b cell does not bind its antigen then it remains inactive & re-circulates - if within months it still hasn t binded to its specific epitope then it will die by apoptosis. If the circulating b cell binds its specific antigen (and tfh cell), it undergoes clonal expansion leading to the generation of plasma cells (secrete antibodies) and memory b cells. Antibodies return to infected tissue and help eliminate its specific extracellular pathogen. Most common b cell response is against protein antigens.