An overview of the influence of germinal centers on antibody production

Secretory antibodies produced by B lymphocytes mediate humoral immunity. B-cells develop after maturation in bone marrow from stem cells to obtain the necessary properties to identify and combat against pathogens. B lymphocytes settle in peripheral lymphoid tissues to interact with foreign antigens. The activation of B cells in the peripheral lymphoid tissues lead to the proliferation, differentiation, and production of memory B cells and antibody-secreting plasma cells. The production of memory B cells requires the formation of germinal centers that act as a site for affinity maturation and B cells acquire the necessary changes to detect antigens and produce long-lived plasma cells. In this review, we will focus on related mechanisms of germinal center formation and production of antibodies.