Innate Immune System (N/A)

The innate immune system is the body's first line of defense against pathogens and foreign substances. It is a nonspecific, rapid-response system that acts within minutes to hours after exposure to an invader, in contrast to the slower adaptive immune response which takes days to weeks. The innate immune system is present from birth and does not require prior exposure or "training" to recognize threats. It comprises physical barriers, chemical barriers, cellular components (neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, mast cells, eosinophils, basophils), and humoral components (complement proteins, interferons, interleukin-1). It relies on pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as toll-like receptors (TLRs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs), and RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) to detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).

Other names

Non-specific immune systemNative immunity

N/A