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<p>Plasma cells are oval, around 9µm and have a round prominent nucleus. The cytoplasm is extensive and stains strongly basophilic. It contains large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus is large and appears as a clear crescent-shaped structure near the nucleus. Some plasma cells accumulate considerable quantities of, perhaps abnormal, antibody and this appears as a large eosinophilic blob filling the cytoplasm and displacing the nucleus to one side. These blobs are called "Russell Bodies".</p>
<p>Plasma cells are oval, around 9µm and have a round prominent nucleus. The cytoplasm is extensive and stains strongly basophilic. It contains large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus is large and appears as a clear crescent-shaped structure near the nucleus. Some plasma cells accumulate considerable quantities of, perhaps abnormal, antibody and this appears as a large eosinophilic blob filling the cytoplasm and displacing the nucleus to one side. These blobs are called "Russell Bodies".</p>
===Function===
===Function===
[[Image:B-cell-Ab.jpg|thumb|right|150px|B-cell Antibody production - B. Catchpole, RVC 2008]]
[[Image:B-cell-Ab.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Plasma cell antibody production - B. Catchpole, RVC 2008]]
<p>Plasma cells produce immunoglobulins/antibodies (thousands a second). The immunoglobulin binding specificity is identical to the binding specificity of the BCR on the [[Lymphocytes - WikiBlood#B cells|B cell]] that the cell has differentiated from. This means that when a [[Lymphocytes - WikiBlood#B cells|B cell]] has a BCR that can effectively bind to an antigen the immunoglobulins produced by the plasma cell can bind to that antigen.</p>
<p>Plasma cells produce immunoglobulins/antibodies (thousands a second). The immunoglobulin binding specificity is identical to the binding specificity of the BCR on the [[Lymphocytes - WikiBlood#B cells|B cell]] that the cell has differentiated from. This means that when a [[Lymphocytes - WikiBlood#B cells|B cell]] has a BCR that can effectively bind to an antigen the immunoglobulins produced by the plasma cell can bind to that antigen.</p>
<p>Although they can live for months most plasma cells only live for a few days and do not replicate in this time.</p>
<p>Although they can live for months most plasma cells only live for a few days and do not replicate in this time.</p>