Which human blood cells produce antibodies?

B cells produce antibodies in the human immune system.

B cells are a type of lymphocyte, a white blood cell involved in adaptive immunity. When a B cell recognizes a matching antigen and receives the required activation signals, it can develop into a plasma cell. Plasma cells secrete antibodies, also called immunoglobulins, that bind specific molecular targets.

Antibodies can help neutralize microbes or toxins, mark foreign material for destruction, and activate other immune mechanisms. Some activated B cells become memory B cells, which can respond more quickly if the same antigen appears again. This memory is one reason vaccination can provide lasting protection.

A frequent mistake is saying that all white blood cells make antibodies. T cells coordinate or carry out other immune functions, neutrophils engulf microbes, and red blood cells transport oxygen. Antibodies are made by plasma cells descended from activated B cells.