innate immune system

(noun)

This is the initial line of defense that entails a cascade of cells and mechanisms that protect the host from infection by different organisms in an indeterminate pattern.

Related Terms

Examples of innate immune system in the following topics:

  • Primary and Secondary Antibody Responses

    • The immune system protects organisms from infection first with the innate immune system, then with adaptive immunity.
    • If a pathogen breaches these barriers, the innate immune system provides an immediate, but non-specific response.
    • Both innate and adaptive immunity depend on the ability of the immune system to distinguish between self and non-self molecules.
    • Active immunity often involves both the cell-mediated and humoral aspects of immunity as well as input from the innate immune system .
    • Generalize the role of the innate and adaptive immune system in regards to antibody response

  • Physical and Chemical Barriers

    • The innate immune response has physical and chemical barriers that exist as the first line of defense against infectious pathogens.
    • The immune system comprises both innate and adaptive immune responses.
    • From an historical perspective, the innate immune system developed early in animal evolution, roughly a billion years ago, as an essential response to infection.
    • The skin is considered the first defense of the innate immune system; it is the first of the nonspecific barrier defenses.
    • In the innate immune system, they serve to move pathogens out of the respiratory system via a concerted sweeping motion.

  • The Complement System

    • The innate immune system serves as a first responder to pathogenic threats that bypass natural physical and chemical barriers of the body.
    • Using a combination of cellular and molecular attacks, the innate immune system identifies the nature of a pathogen and responds with inflammation, phagocytosis (where a cell engulfs a foreign particle), cytokine release, destruction by NK cells, and/or a complement system.
    • In this concept, we will discuss the complement system.
    • The complement system is so named because it is complementary to the antibody response of the adaptive immune system.
    • When innate mechanisms are insufficient to clear an infection, the adaptive immune response is informed and mobilized.

  • Overview of Adaptive Immunity

    • The adaptive immune system, also known as the specific immune system, is composed of highly-specialized systemic cells and processes that eliminate or prevent pathogenic growth.
    • The adaptive immune system works to protect and heal the body when the innate immune system fails.
    • The adaptive immune system starts to work after the innate immune system is activated.
    • The adaptive immune response occurs a few days after the innate immune response is initiated.
    • Adaptive immunity is triggered when a pathogen evades the innate immune system for long enough to generate a threshold level of an antigen.

  • Pathogen Recognition

    • Upon pathogen entry to the body, the innate immune system uses several mechanisms to destroy the pathogen and any cells it has infected.
    • The innate immune system must respond accordingly by identifying the extracellular pathogen and/or by identifying host cells that have already been infected.
    • Interleukins are involved in bridging the innate and adaptive immune responses.
    • The characteristics and location of cells involved in the innate immune system are described in this chart.
    • Describe the role of PAMPs and PRRs, interferons, and other cytokines in innate immunity

  • WBC Function

    • Leukocyte functions may be classified as either innate or adaptive immune system, based on several characteristics.
    • The innate immune system is non-specific and refers to the general ability of the body to prevent pathogen entry and destroy pathogens that do enter the body.
    • Innate immune system functions are rapid responses that work to inhibit a pathogen as soon as it is detected in the body.
    • Innate immune system functions from leukocytes include:
    • Compared to the innate immune system, adaptive immune functions work much faster and have a memory component to them as well, which prevents reinfection by the same pathogen, but more time typically passes before the adpative immune system is functional.

  • Overview of the Immune System

    • The immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease.
    • If a pathogen breaches these barriers, the innate immune system provides an immediate, but non-specific response.
    • If pathogens successfully evade the innate response, vertebrates possess a second layer of protection, the adaptive immune system, which is activated by the innate response.
    • Both innate and adaptive immunity depend on the ability of the immune system to distinguish between self and non-self molecules, where self molecules are those components of an organism's body that can be distinguished from foreign substances by the immune system.
    • Through these approaches, innate immunity can prevent the colonization, entry, and spread of microbes.

  • Types of Adaptive Immunity

    • The adaptive immune system mounts a stronger, antigen-specific immune response after the innate immune response fails to prevent a pathogen from causing an infection.
    • There are two subdivisions of the adaptive immune system: cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity.
    • Type 2 helper T cells are included in the humoral immune system because they present antigens to immature B-cells, which undergo proliferation to become specific to the presented antigen.
    • Six different classes of antibodies provide distinct functions and interact with different cells in the immune system.
    • Mast cells and eosinophils are considered part of the humoral immune system because they can be sensitized towards certain antigens through circulating immunoglobin E (IgE), a specific type of antibody produced by B cells.

  • The Complement System

    • The serum complement system, which represents a chief component of innate immunity, not only participates in inflammation but also acts to enhance the adaptive immune response.
    • The complement system plays a crucial role in the innate defense against common pathogens.
    • It is now understood that the complement is a functional bridge between innate and adaptive immune responses that allows an integrated host defense to pathogenic challenges.
    • It has become increasingly understood that complement functions in host defense extend beyond innate immune responses.
    • The finding that B lymphocytes bound C3 raised the question as early as in the 1970s as to whether the complement system was involved in adaptive immune responses.

  • Innate Immune Response

    • Mammalian immune systems evolved for protection from such pathogens.
    • The immune response that defends against pathogens can be classified as either innate or active.
    • The innate immune response is present in its final state from birth and attempts to defend against all pathogens.
    • However, we are born with only innate immunity, developing our adaptive immune response after birth.
    • Components of both immune systems constantly search the body for signs of pathogens.