Abstract

Immunity is a state of protection when the pathogens are no longer able to harm the body. This protection is provided by two types of defense mechanisms- innate immune response and adaptive immune response. This chapter discusses innate immune response in detail. The innate immune response is ‘non-specific’ and is considered as ‘first line of defense’ as it is activated within hours of the entry of pathogen. It involves several levels of protection in the form of anatomical barriers like skin and mucus layers; chemical barriers in the form of antimicrobial proteins and peptides; inflammatory response; phagocytosis of pathogens by special cells known as phagocytes. The chapter also discusses major pattern recognition receptors that are involved in identifying pathogens and dead or damaged cells, for removal by phagocytosis. Many types of cells such as natural killer cells and other non-lymphoid cells which aid in destroying the pathogen are a part of innate immunity. The innate and inflammatory responses are carefully regulated by positive and negative feedback mechanisms. If the regulatory mechanisms are not in place, it results in pathological conditions.

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