What is innate immunity?
Congenital immunity concerns those characteristics of immunity that are present at birth and genetically move from parents to children. It consists not only of skin and mucus membranes, but also of blood cells responsible for fighting pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Congenital immunity differs from the acquired immunity that is not present at birth and which occurs when the immune system fights pathogen and creates antibodies against this pathogen to provide future immunity.
The first main element of the congenital immune system is the skin. Most pathogens cannot penetrate the skin if the integrity of the barrier has been endangered by injuries. Ciliary effects in the lungs and nasal passages help to eliminate pathogens from the body before they can cause disease. Tears, saliva, urine and spilling dead skin cells are all congenital immune functions that help prevent pathogens from infecting the body. The mucosal lining of the digestive and respiratory tract also captures pathogens before they have a chance to grasp in the bodiese and cause a disease. Different types of white blood cells include phagocytes, macrophages and natural killer cells. White blood cells serve the immune system by identifying and elimination of pathogenic threats. These cells kill bacteria and viruses.
different types of white blood cells have different roles in the congenital immune system. Macrophages evolve when monocytes, a type of white blood cells that move into infected tissues, enlarge and fill enzymes that help them eliminate bacteria. Macrophages remain in the tissues at the site of the infection, remove bacteria and damaged dead cells.
Other white blood cells of the immune system have different ability to capture, kill, ingest and spend pathogens. Basophly, the type of white blood cells involved in allergic reactions, the release of histamine when they encounter allergens. Histamine increases blood flow to infected tissues, allowing other white blood cells more opportunitiesremove invasive pathogens. Dendritic cells found in lymph nodes and skin help to decompose antigens so that T-cells can recognize and eliminate them. Natural killer cells can eliminate viruses by killing cells that infect.
Congenital immunity comes with a built -in ability to create new immunity on specific pathogens. White blood cells and blood proteins of the congenital immune system are responsible for the ability of the body to obtain immunity. The acquired immunity occurs when white blood cells produce antibodies against a certain pathogen, which in the future makes individual immune to this pathogen's disease. The acquired immunity is often caused by vaccination.