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The Innate Immune Response definitions

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  • Innate Immune Response
    First line of defense, acting rapidly and non-specifically to eliminate pathogens using barriers, cells, and proteins.
  • Chemical Barriers
    Substances like enzymes or acidic pH that prevent pathogen entry or survival at body surfaces.
  • Physical Barriers
    Structures such as skin and mucous membranes that block pathogen invasion.
  • Cell Intrinsic Responses
    Defensive actions performed by individual cells to halt pathogen replication or spread.
  • Phagocytic Cells
    White blood cells that engulf and destroy pathogens, often traveling through the body to infection sites.
  • Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns
    Molecular features common to groups of microbes, recognized as foreign by immune cells.
  • Pattern Recognition Receptors
    Proteins on immune cells that detect conserved microbial structures, triggering immune activation.
  • Toll-like Receptors
    A major class of pattern recognition receptors that bind microbial patterns and initiate immune signaling.
  • Complement System
    A group of about 20 blood proteins that, once activated, help eliminate pathogens by various mechanisms.
  • Natural Killer Cells
    Immune cells that detect infected cells and induce their self-destruction to prevent pathogen spread.
  • Apoptosis
    Programmed cell death, used by immune cells to eliminate infected or damaged cells.
  • Inflammation
    Localized response involving heat, pain, and swelling, recruiting immune cells to infection sites.
  • Dendritic Cells
    Cells that bridge innate and adaptive immunity by recognizing pathogens and activating adaptive responses.