B cell
nounEtymology From b(ursa) + cell.
1
Immunology, Medicine, Sciences A lymphocyte, developed in the bursa of birds and the bone marrow of other animals, that produces antibodies and is co-responsible for the immune system.
- Mature B cells produce complex proteins called immunoglobins which combine to form antibodies, each capable of binding to a specific molecular structure.2011, Terence Allen, Graham Cowling, The Cell: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, page 89:
- Synonyms
- B lymphocyte, bursacyte
- Derived terms
- diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Hypernyms
- leucocyte = leukocyte = white blood cell = WBC > agranulocyte > lymphocyte
- Hyponyms
- memory B cell, plasmacyte = plasmocyte
- Coordinate terms
- natural killer cell, T cell