B-MEMORY LYMPHOCYTES

As you learned from the previous section on humoral immunity, B-lymphocytes when they mature divide into either plasma cells or B-memory lymphocytes.

B-memory cells work independently from the plasma cells.

They have more intelligence (not too difficult, considering the IQ of your average B -lymphocyte!).

Basically, the B-memory lymphocytes are the 'Intelligence Unit' of this branch of our immune system, and their job is not so much to get involved in any fighting, but to quietly watch what's going on and remember how a particular antigen has been defeated and then, like the T-memory lymphocytes, carry that 'blueprint' with them for the rest of their lives.

This saves time when others with that same antigen (micro-organism), like the ancient Vikings (who never gave up), try to invade us again.

Instead of having to work out how to defeat this invader all over again with a new batch of raw B-lymphocyte recruits, thereby wasting valuable time, the B-memory lymphocytes remember meeting that type of micro-organism before, and so can immediately rush the 'blueprint' to the Plasma Cells so that they can start to produce the particular/specific immunoglobulin that is needed to help to defeat it without having to waste any time.

Thus, after the first infection, which may well make us very ill before it is beaten (primary response), we can be repeatedly attacked by the same infectious micro-organism that caused the first infection and not even know about it (secondary response).

This is because our B-lymphocytes, and the immune system in general, are able to defeat the invading micro-organisms before they have had a chance of causing any damage.

This is actually the reason for being immunised against certain diseases, such as Diphtheria, Pertussis & Tetanus (DPT).