The type of cell that makes antibodies is the B cell, a specialized white blood cell of the immune system
. When B cells are activated by encountering an antigen, they differentiate into plasma cells, which are the effector form of B cells that secrete large quantities of antibodies into the bloodstream
. Each plasma cell produces antibodies specific to the antigen that originally activated the parent B cell
. Some B cells also become memory B cells, which can respond rapidly if the same antigen is encountered again in the future
