A Few Key Historical Events in the Antibody Field: The Alacritous Antibody.

We have coined the term "alacrity" to describe the extraordinary diversity of B cell activation potentials, even among cells in a single B cell clone responding to a single antigen. The discovery of methodologies for B cell culture in limiting dilution allowed scientists to identify the source of cellular heterogeneity among cells of the immune system. Analyses of individual B cells set the stage for more detailed descriptions of the factors that diversify B cell functions, some of which will be expanded upon by partner articles in this B cell issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]