What Is Somatic Hypermutation and Isotype Switching

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What is the difference between somatic hypermutation and class switching?

V(D)J recombination occurs in the bone marrow, whereas somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination occur in the peripheral lymphoid tissues. … Class-switch recombination alters the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (h) constant (C) region gene that will be expressed from the Cμ region to one of the other C h genes.

What is the purpose of somatic hypermutation?

Somatic hypermutation is a process that allows B cells to mutate the genes that they use to produce antibodies. This enables the B cells to produce antibodies that are better able to bind to bacteria, viruses and other infections.