What is the innate immune system?
Congenital immune system is the first defense line of the body against infection microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and parasites. This branch of the immune system is referred to as congenital because it is activated immediately after the infection to prevent all pathogens. On the other hand, the acquired immune system, the second line of defense of the body, is a much more specific reaction that requires construction time. The congenital immune system consists of multiple attack, which includes the physical barriers of infection, immune cells and protein molecules called complement and cytokines.
The physical barriers of infection are the most important leather. When the skin is intact, for most invasive pathogens, it is impermeable and other mechanisms such as sweating, help to flush bacteria and skin from the skin. Similarly, tears, mucus and saliva flush pathogens from the eyes and nosopharynx. The gastrointestinal tract is also part of the innate immune system. The defensive mechanisms of this place include the acidity of the tract, enzymes that spend organic matter and antibacterial proteins called defensins.
When an infectious agent is able to circumvent or negate these physical barriers, the first reaction of a congenital immune system is an inflammatory response. This response is stimulated by release of inflammatory chemicals by cells that are damaged or dying. Inflammation can be triggered not only by infection but also by injury. However, if infection is present, other defense mechanisms are running in conjunction with inflammation. These include cellular and chemical reactions.
The presence of pathogens at the site of inflammation causes the release of a large number of different chemicals, some of which simply support inflammation and some of them have different roles. In response to the presence of bacterial proteins, a chemical cascade, the supplement system is launched. It is a chain of chemical reactions involving a large number of different proteins. Completing cascade complements the Complement helping to kill invasive bacteria and also acceptsMore immune cells to the site of infection.
At the site of infection, other substances such as lactoferrin, transferrin and lysozyme are also produced. Laktoferrin and Transferrin bind the available iron to reduce its availability to bacteria, while Lysozym helps to destroy bacteria of breaking their cell walls. Chemicals specific to the immune system called cytokines are also produced. These include interferons that help reduce the rate of replication of the virus, and interleukin-1, which increases the efficiency of the complement reaction.
When these chemical reactions develop, cells of a congenital immune system, including neutrophils, macrophages and natural killer cells, they also have their own parts. These cells are accepted to the point of infection of cytokine and other proteins supporting inflammation. All three types of cells are fighting to attack pathogens, but do so through various mechanisms. Neutrophils and macrophages kill the absorbing bacterial cells and spend them while natural killing cells destroy the cells thatViruses were infected. Macrophages also participate in the triggering of the obtained immunity that develops in response to the ongoing infection.