Glossary

Clonotype/Clone: A group of cells derived from the same ancestral cell, with identical or very similar Ig gene expression (B cell receptor) configuration.

Germinal centre: specialized microstructure that forms in secondary lymphoid tissues, producing long-lived antibody secreting plasma cells and memory B cells

Proliferation: process by which a cell grows and divides to produce two daughter cells

Differentiation: a transition of a cell from one cell type/state to another and it involves a switch from one pattern of gene expression to another. Often referred to as maturation.