The plasma cell stains one of the most vivid of blue colors ever seen. The royal blue silk sheets my lovely wife recently bought come close, but plasma cells look more like velvet. In any case, this color reflects the very high concentration of amines found in these cells, which are highly differentiated B lymphocytes. Plasma cells produce one of our most wonderful proteins, immunoglobulins.The immune system itself is an elegant cascade of responses to foreign invasion, and the globulins are particularly "ingenious".
But, like all of our parts, plasma cells have their evil side. Gathering mutations as we age, they can become malignant and the resultant disease is called multiple myeloma. The great Geraldine Ferraro recently died of this disease after a prolonged siege.
Appreciate your plasma cells today, and have a virgin Blue Moon to celebrate them!
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