What are the characteristics of an innate immune response?

Innate immune response is the first line of defense against infection and injury. It is present from birth and does not require prior exposure to a pathogen to be effective. Innate immune responses are mediated by a variety of cells and molecules, including:

- Phagocytes: These cells engulf and destroy foreign particles, including bacteria and viruses. Phagocytes include neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells.

- Natural killer (NK) cells: These cells kill infected or cancerous cells by releasing toxic chemicals.

- Cytokines: These proteins are produced by immune cells and act as chemical messengers, coordinating the immune response.

- Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs): These receptors recognize molecular patterns associated with pathogens, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on bacteria and peptidoglycan on fungi.

The innate immune response is essential for protecting the body against infection and injury. It is also important for regulating the adaptive immune response, which is a more specialized and targeted immune response that develops after exposure to a specific pathogen.

Characteristics of innate immune response:

* Rapid response: The innate immune response is activated within minutes or hours of infection or injury.

* Non-specific: The innate immune response is not specific for a particular pathogen. It recognizes molecular patterns that are common to many different pathogens.

* Broad spectrum: The innate immune response can protect against a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

* Memory: The innate immune response does not have memory, which means that it does not provide long-term immunity to a pathogen.