Germinal centers (GCs) are microanatomical sites of B cell clonal expansion and antibody
affinity maturation. Therein, B cells undergo the Darwinian process of somatic diversification
and affinity-driven selection of immunoglobulins that produces the high-affinity antibodies
essential for effective humoral immunity. Here, we review recent developments in the field of
GC biology, primarily as it pertains to GCs induced by infection or immunization. First, we
summarize the phenotype and function of the different cell types that compose the GC …