Innate Immunity and Inflammation

⏱ 14 min★ Up to 105 XP📝 4 questions

Module 2.3 · Topic 1

The response that doesn't wait to identify the enemy

Step on a splinter and get a splinter-shaped infection, or inhale a completely unrelated flu virus — within minutes, your body starts nearly the same local response either way: redness, heat, swelling. That response has no idea whether it's fighting bacteria, a virus, or nothing infectious at all. And that's not a flaw.

For this fast, first-minutes response to begin, does the immune system need to have encountered this exact pathogen before?

Practice Questions

ConceptQuestion 1 of 4

Innate immunity is distinguished from adaptive immunity mainly by:

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