Here's why:
* Antigens: These are foreign substances (like bacteria, viruses, or toxins) that trigger an immune response.
* B cells: These are white blood cells that are responsible for humoral immunity (immunity involving antibodies).
* Antibodies: These are proteins that specifically bind to antigens, neutralizing them and marking them for destruction by other immune cells.
The process:
1. When a B cell encounters an antigen, it becomes activated.
2. The activated B cell differentiates into a plasma cell.
3. Plasma cells are antibody factories, producing large amounts of antibodies specific to the antigen that triggered their activation.
So, in summary, the antigen stimulates the B cell to produce antibodies specifically targeted to that antigen.
