Buy backpacks, exercise machines, athletic shoes, and more at Fogdog Sports. Description Plasma cells develop from lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. They are found primarily in the bone marrow and lymph nodes. Bone marrow is a very active tissue that is responsible for producing the different cells that circulate in blood. These include red blood cells, platelets, and the many types of white blood cells.
Plasma cells are responsible for helping the body fight infection.
These antibodies have a variety of functions, all of which ultimately serve the purpose of defending the body against invading organisms. Multiple myeloma occurs when the plasma cells in the bone marrow begin reproducing uncontrollably. Multiple myeloma tends to be a disease of the elderly. The average patient is 68 years old when diagnosed. During the last 10 years, doctors have seen an increase in cases of multiple myeloma occurring at younger ages, but patients are usually over age 40.