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Glite Dictionary
plasmacyte

plasmacyte

9.9
A white blood cell that makes antibodies to fight germs and lives in bone marrow
  • noun
  • /ˈplæz.məˌsaɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : plasmocito
  • When exposed to the antigen, a B cell can mature into a plasmacyte and produce antibodies.

Examples

  • Under the microscope, the doctor identified several plasmacytes in the patient's bone marrow sample.

  • The plasmacyte produces antibodies to fight infections.

  • High counts of plasmacytes may indicate certain bone marrow diseases.

  • Many plasmacytes are found in the bone marrow.

  • Under the microscope, the doctor identified several plasmacytes in the patient's bone marrow sample.

  • High counts of plasmacytes may indicate certain bone marrow diseases.

  • When exposed to the antigen, a B cell can mature into a plasmacyte and produce antibodies.

Synonyms

plasma cell
vsplasmacyte
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A white blood cell that makes antibodies to fight infections

is the same cell but description omits that it makes antibodies

Surface Forms

plasmacyte singular
plasmacytes plural

Morphology

plasmacyte = plasma + cyte (semi-transparent) = plasma + cyte

The components 'plasma' and 'cyte' are clear, but the specific biological context may not be immediately obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Plasmacyte comes from plasma, meaning 'something formed', and the ending -cyte, meaning 'cell', just like the everyday word 'cell'. So a plasmacyte is a 'plasma cell', a white blood cell that forms from a B cell and makes antibodies.