The ability of plasma cells to undergo mitosis depends on their stage of differentiation. Early plasma cells can undergo mitosis, while terminally differentiated, mature plasma cells typically do not undergo mitosis.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
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Early Plasma Cells: These cells, also known as plasmablasts or early stage plasma cells, are capable of cell division through mitosis. This allows for the expansion of the plasma cell population during an immune response. The reference states they are capable of reproducing themselves by mitosis.
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Mature Plasma Cells: These are the fully differentiated, antibody-secreting cells. Most sources indicate that mature plasma cells are terminally differentiated and do not undergo mitosis. Their primary function is antibody production, and they have largely lost the ability to divide. The reference indicates that the mature cells divide by amitosis which is a less common and perhaps misinterpreted cell division process. More commonly, it's accepted that mature plasma cells do not divide.
The reason for this difference lies in the commitment to antibody production. To maintain high levels of antibody synthesis, mature plasma cells dedicate their cellular machinery to this task, reducing or eliminating the machinery required for cell division.
In summary, while early plasma cells can divide through mitosis to expand their numbers, mature, antibody-secreting plasma cells generally do not undergo mitosis.
