ABSTRACT
To understand myeloma and its biology, it is important to study the nature of plasma cells and the immunoglobulins secreted by them. The first section of this chapter is devoted to plasma cells: their structure, function, and proliferation. The second half of the chapter focuses on immunoglobulins, and includes a detailed description of the various classes and their structure. Of critical importance are the genetic events that lead to immunoglobulin synthesis; these events are also discussed.
