Difference between revisions of "Innate Immune System - Introduction"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
(Created page with "The Innate immune system is the body's first barrier of defence to infection. It relies on an older, more generic, and faster acting set of tools than the [[Adaptive Immune Syste...") |
|||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
*** [[Complement|Complement]] | *** [[Complement|Complement]] | ||
*** Interferons | *** Interferons | ||
| − | ** | + | ** [[Innate Immunity Cellular Responses|'''Cellular mechanisms''']] |
*** [[Phagocytosis]] | *** [[Phagocytosis]] | ||
** Factors which regulate '''species specificity''' | ** Factors which regulate '''species specificity''' | ||
Revision as of 16:08, 13 August 2010
The Innate immune system is the body's first barrier of defence to infection. It relies on an older, more generic, and faster acting set of tools than the adaptive system. While the adaptive system is essential for a specific response to infection, it is ultimately the innate system that conquers foreign attackers through means of phagocytosis.
- Non-specific protective mechanisms include such innate factors as:
- Physical barriers
- Skin
- Ciliated mucous membranes
- Commensal organisms
- Humoral factors
- Lysozyme
- Complement
- Interferons
- Cellular mechanisms
- Factors which regulate species specificity
- Membrane receptors for pathogens
- Nutritional requirements
- Temperature
- pH
- Physical barriers
- Mechanisms of innate immunity are always present and generally unchanging
- Adaptive immunity is acquired only on contact with the infectious agent (antigen) and therefore does not function before first contact with the antigen
Links
Websites