Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

Which cells are primarily responsible for producing antibodies?

1. a. A cells.

2. b. cytotoxic cells.

3. c. helper T cells.

4. d. plasma cells.

The correct answer is: d. plasma cells.

The correct answer is plasma cells, as they are the specialized B cells that have differentiated and are primarily responsible for the production and secretion of antibodies. When B cells encounter an antigen (a harmful substance), they can differentiate into plasma cells in response to signals from helper T cells. Once differentiated, plasma cells produce large quantities of antibodies specific to that antigen, which help neutralize pathogens or mark them for destruction by other components of the immune system. Understanding this process is crucial because plasma cells play a pivotal role in the adaptive immune response, which helps the body to develop immunity against specific pathogens after exposure. They are essential for the effectiveness of vaccines as well, which aim to prompt the immune system to produce antibodies against certain diseases. The other options do not directly produce antibodies. A cells and cytotoxic cells do not exist within standard immunological definitions; these may be misinterpretations of relevant cellular types. Helper T cells, while important in the immune response, primarily function to assist other cells in the immune system, including promoting the activation and differentiation of B cells into plasma cells.