Barrier Defenses and the Innate Immune Response

Definition

Barrier defenses are the body's first line of defense against pathogens, consisting of physical, chemical, and biological barriers such as skin, mucous membranes, and secretions. The innate immune response is an immediate but nonspecific response to pathogens that enter the body, involving cells and mechanisms that defend the host from infection by other organisms.

Related terms

Phagocytosis:

The process by which certain cells engulf and digest microbes and cellular debris.

Antimicrobial peptides: Small proteins found in barrier tissues that disrupt the membranes of invading microbes.

Inflammation:

A localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection