# Plasma Cell --- **Plasma cells** are made from a [[B-cells|B-cell]] cloning itself when it has become [[B-cells#Activation|activated]] from the presence of an [[antigen]]. These cells are [[antibodies]] producing factories, and most of them have relatively short lifespans, that last to fight the particular infection. Producing all the antibodies is quite energy intensive and not resource efficient. There is a small subset of long-lived plasma cells (LLPC) that hide away in the bone marrow to provide more immunological memory while the short-lived ones die off. B-cells have usually undergone [[affinity maturation]] prior to differentiating into plasma cells, so the antibodies they produce usually have a high affinity for the antigen. Antibody production continues for several days or months, until the antigen has been overcome. Any particular plasma cell can only produce one [[antibodies#Classes of Antibodies|class]] of antibody, though the parent B-cell can differentiate into other new plasma cells in order to perform [[class switching]] during an immune response. ![[exogenous antigen concept map.png]] ## Problems with Plasma Cells - [[multiple myeloma]] is cancer of the plasma cells ___