Where do B-cells mature exactly?

[mariposas905]

Do B-cells mature in both the bone marrow and spleen? UWorld says B-cells mature in the spleen, but I remember reading from TPR that they mature in the bone marrow? I'm confused.

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[joe_1395]

They mature in the bone marrow and I believe that they are activated in the spleen.

 

[mariposas905]

They mature in the bone marrow and I believe that they are activated in the spleen.

Huh, that's what TPR says but why does UWorld say the opposite? I guess one of those sources is wrong :/

 

[joe_1395]

Huh, that's what TPR says but why does UWorld say the opposite? I guess one of those sources is wrong :/

B cell - Wikipedia

 

[duckdoc20]

It could be that they are using two different understandings of the word mature. While they mature in the bone marrow they are activated in germinal centers in secondary lymphatic organs such as the spleen. This is where they would proliferate and become plasma cells (the final stage in the B-cell linage). I don't think the MCAT would expect you to know the latter. I was always told by Kaplan to match the first letter in B and T cells to where they mature, BM and thymus respectively.