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Simplified illustration of T-Cell to B-Cell contact. Original image is 2,200 x 2,200 pixels.
B-Cell to T-Cell contact. Image shows the intimate contact between two types of immune cell ( a B-lymphocyte and a T-lymphocyte). This is also known as an immune synapse or immunological synapse since cytokines pass between the contact areas in a way analogous to neurotransmitters crossing a neuronal synapse. These immune-cell meetings are involved in immunoregulation. In this instance, the B-Cell acts as an antigen-presenting cell. The stimulation provided by the (Helper) T-Cell triggers the presenting B-Cell to mature (differentiate) into a plasma cell which produces specific antibodies.
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