Explain what happens to B lymphocytes once stimulated by an antigen. Explain all the ways the processes of proliferation and amplification benefit the individual.
B lymphocytes carry exposed antibodies on their cell membranes so that, when an antigen does run into the lymphocyte capable of making the antibody to deactivate the antigen, the lymphocyte is able to bind immediately to the antigen. This triggers the lymphocyte to begin proliferating, thereby, amplifying the type of lymphocyte capable of deactivating that particular antigen. The clone of cells produced by the B lymphocyte includes both plasma and memory cells genetically identical to the original lymphocyte. Each plasma cell may transcribe up to 20,000 mRNA molecules for the needed antibody enabling each plasma cell to produce around 2000 antibody molecules per second. The memory cells, each capable of producing as large a clone of cells as the original lymphocyte produced, insure that on subsequent attacks by the same antigen the immunological response will be even faster often times offering an immediate response instead of the several days required by the original B lymphocyte to generate sufficient immunity during the first attack.
