Bones themselves do not have plasma, but bone marrow, which is found inside bones, does contain plasma cells.
Understanding the Relationship Between Bones, Bone Marrow, and Plasma Cells
To clarify, let's break down the components:
- Bones: The rigid structures that form the skeleton.
- Bone Marrow: The soft, spongy tissue inside some bones. It's where blood cells are produced.
- Plasma Cells: Specialized immune cells that originate in the bone marrow and produce antibodies. These cells are found in bone marrow. Normal bone marrow contains few plasma cells. A person with multiple myeloma often has many abnormal plasma cells (myeloma cells) in the bone marrow. Myeloma cells can form tumours in bones called plasmacytomas.
Plasma and Blood
Plasma is the liquid component of blood, containing water, salts, enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins. While plasma is found in blood vessels that run through bones and in the bone marrow where blood cells are made, the bone tissue itself is not composed of plasma.
Key Takeaway
While bones don't have plasma as a component, bone marrow within bones is a location where plasma cells reside and where blood cell production (including components of plasma) occurs.
