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Ch. 17 Blood
Marieb - Human Anatomy & Physiology 7th Edition
Marieb, Hoehn7th EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780805359091Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 16, Problem 7

The blood cell that can become an antibody-secreting cell is:
a. Lymphocyte
b. Megakaryocyte
c. Neutrophil
d. Basophil

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1
Step 1: Understand the function of each blood cell type listed in the options.
Step 2: Recall that lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell involved in the adaptive immune response, with some differentiating into plasma cells that secrete antibodies.
Step 3: Recognize that megakaryocytes are large bone marrow cells responsible for producing platelets, not antibodies.
Step 4: Know that neutrophils are white blood cells primarily involved in phagocytosis and innate immunity, not antibody production.
Step 5: Understand that basophils are involved in inflammatory responses and release histamine, but do not produce antibodies.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Lymphocytes

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell essential for the adaptive immune response. They include B cells and T cells, where B cells can differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies to neutralize pathogens.
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Lymphocytes

Antibody-Secreting Cells (Plasma Cells)

Plasma cells are the mature form of B lymphocytes that actively secrete antibodies. These antibodies specifically target antigens, helping the immune system identify and eliminate foreign invaders.
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Naive B cells Become Effector (Plasma) Cells & Memory Cells

Other Blood Cells (Megakaryocytes, Neutrophils, Basophils)

Megakaryocytes produce platelets for blood clotting, neutrophils are phagocytic cells that engulf pathogens, and basophils release histamine during allergic responses. None of these cells produce antibodies.
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Other Epidermal Cells