B cell

English

Alternative forms

• B-cell (especially when used in attributive position)

Etymology

From b(ursa) + cell.

Noun

B cell (plural B cells)

1. (immunology) 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.
   • 2011, Terence Allen, Graham Cowling, The Cell: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, page 89:

     Mature B cells produce complex proteins called immunoglobins which combine to form antibodies, each capable of binding to a specific molecular structure.

Synonyms

• B lymphocyte, bursacyte

Hypernyms

• leucocyte = leukocyte = white blood cell = WBC > agranulocyte > lymphocyte

Hyponyms

• memory B cell, plasma cell = plasmacyte = plasmocyte

Coordinate terms

• natural killer cell, T cell

Derived terms

• diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Translations

lymphocyte that produces antibodies

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: B細胞／B细胞 (bì-xìbāo)

• Hungarian: B-sejt
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: xaneya B f