The innate immune system,  also known as the nonspecific immune system and the first line of defense,  is a subsystem of the overall immune system that comprises the cells and mechanisms that defend the host from infection by other organisms.  This means that the cells of the innate system recognize and respond to pathogens in a generic way,  but,  unlike the adaptive immune system  (which is found only in vertebrates),  it does not confer long-lasting or protective immunity to the host.  Innate immune systems provide immediate defense against infection,  and are found in all classes of plant and animal life.  They include both humoral immunity components (innate) and cell-mediated immunity components (adaptive).

The innate immune system is an evolutionarily older defense strategy,  and is the dominant immune system found in plants,  fungi,  insects,  and primitive multicellular organisms.

The major functions of the vertebrate innate immune system include:

• Recruiting immune cells to sites of infection, through the production of chemical factors, including specialized chemical mediators, called cytokines
• Activation of the complement cascade to identify bacteria,  activate cells,  and promote clearance of antibody complexes or dead cells
• The identification and removal of foreign substances present in organs,  tissues,  the blood and lymph,  by specialised white blood cells
• Activation of the adaptive immune system through a process known as antigen presentation
• Acting as a physical and chemical barrier to infectious agents

[Additional detailed explanation from Wikipedia covers the following:]                             to top

• Anatomical barriers
• Inflammation
• Complement system
• Cells of the innate immune response
  • Mast cells
  • Phagocytes
    • Macrophages
    • Neutrophils
    • Dendritic cells
  • Basophils and eosinophils
  • Natural killer cells
  • γδ T cells
• Other vertebrate mechanisms
• Neural regulation of innate immunity
• Pathogen-specificity

Anatomical barriers
Anatomical barriers include physical,  chemical,  and biological barriers.  The epithelial surfaces form a physical barrier that is impermeable to most infectious agents,  acting as the first line of defense against invading organisms.  Desquamation of skin epithelium also helps remove bacteria and other infectious agents that have adhered to the epithelial surfaces.  Lack of blood vessels and inability of the epidermis to retain moisture,  presence of sebaceous glands in the dermis provides an environment unsuitable for the survival of microbes.  In the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract,  movement due to peristalsis or cilia,  respectively,  helps remove infectious agents.  Also,  mucus traps infectious agents.  The gut flora can prevent the colonization of pathogenic bacteria by secreting toxic substances or by competing with pathogenic bacteria for nutrients or attachment to cell surfaces.  The flushing action of tears and saliva helps prevent infection of the eyes and mouth.

Inflammation                             to top
Inflammation is one of the first responses of the immune system to infection or irritation.  Inflammation is stimulated by chemical factors released by injured cells and serves to establish a physical barrier against the spread of infection,  and to promote healing of any damaged tissue following the clearance of pathogens.  The process of acute inflammation is initiated by cells already present in all tissues,  mainly resident macrophages,  dendritic cells,  histiocytes,  Kupffer cells,  and mastocytes.  These cells present receptors,  contained on the surface or within the cell,  named pattern recognition receptors  (PRRs),  which recognise molecules that are broadly shared by pathogens but distinguishable from host molecules,  collectively referred to as pathogen-associated molecular patterns  (PAMPs).  At the onset of an infection,  burn,  or other injuries,  these cells undergo activation  (one of their PRR recognize a PAMP)  and release inflammatory mediators responsible for the clinical signs of inflammation. 

Chemical factors produced during inflammation  (histamine,  bradykinin,  serotonin,  leukotrienes,  and prostaglandins)  sensitize pain receptors,  cause vasodilation of the blood vessels at the scene,  and attract phagocytes,  especially neutrophils.  Neutrophils then trigger other parts of the immune system by releasing factors that summon other leukocytes and lymphocytes.  Cytokines produced by macrophages and other cells of the innate immune system mediate the inflammatory response.  These cytokines include TNF,  HMGB1,  and IL-1.

The inflammatory response is characterized by the following symptoms:

• redness
• heat
• swelling
• pain
• possible dysfunction of the organs or tissues involved

Complement system
The complement system is a biochemical cascade of the immune system that helps,  or “complements”,  the ability of antibodies to clear pathogens or mark them for destruction by other cells.  The cascade is composed of many plasma proteins,  synthesised in the liver,  primarily by hepatocytes.  The proteins work together to:

• trigger the recruitment of inflammatory cells
• "tag"  pathogens for destruction by other cells by opsonizing,  or coating,  the surface of the pathogen
• form holes in the plasma membrane of the pathogen,  resulting in cytolysis of the pathogen cell,  causing the death of the pathogen
• rid the body of neutralised antigen-antibody complexes

Elements of the complement cascade can be found in many nonmammalian species including plants,  birds,  fish,  and some species of invertebrates

Cells of the innate immune response:                             to top
Leukocyte
The innate leukocytes include:  Natural killer cells,  mast cells,  eosinophils,  basophils;  and the phagocytic cells including macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, and function within the immune system by identifying and eliminating pathogens that might cause infection

Mast cells
Mast cells are a type of innate immune cell that reside in connective tissue and in the mucous membranes.  They are intimately associated with wound healing and defense against pathogens,  but are also often associated with allergy and anaphylaxis.  When activated,  mast cells rapidly release characteristic granules,  rich in histamine and heparin,  along with various hormonal mediators,  and chemokines,  or chemotactic cytokines into the environment.  Histamine dilates blood vessels,  causing the characteristic signs of inflammation,  and recruits neutrophils and macrophages

Phagocytes
The word  'phagocyte'  literally means 'eating cell'.  These are immune cells that engulf,  i.e. phagocytose,  pathogens or particles.  To engulf a particle or pathogen,  a phagocyte extends portions of its plasma membrane,  wrapping the membrane around the particle until it is enveloped  (i.e., the particle is now inside the cell).  Once inside the cell,  the invading pathogen is contained inside an endosome,  which merges with a lysosome.  The lysosome contains enzymes and acids that kill and digest the particle or organism.  In general,  phagocytes patrol the body searching for pathogens,  but are also able to react to a group of highly specialized molecular signals produced by other cells,  called cytokines.  The phagocytic cells of the immune system include macrophages,  neutrophils,  and dendritic cells.

Phagocytosis of the hosts’ own cells is common as part of regular tissue development and maintenance.  When host cells die,  either internally induced by processes involving programmed cell death  (also called apoptosis)  or caused by cell injury due to a bacterial or viral infection,  phagocytic cells are responsible for their removal from the affected site.  By helping to remove dead cells preceding growth and development of new healthy cells,  phagocytosis is an important part of the healing process following tissue injury.

Macrophages
Macrophages,  from the Greek, meaning  "large eaters,"  are large phagocytic leukocytes,  which are able to move outside of the vascular system by moving across the walls of capillary vessels and entering the areas between cells in pursuit of invading pathogens.  In tissues,  organ-specific macrophages are differentiated from phagocytic cells present in the blood called monocytes.  Macrophages are the most efficient phagocytes,  and can phagocytose substantial numbers of bacteria or other cells or microbes.  The binding of bacterial molecules to receptors on the surface of a macrophage triggers it to engulf and destroy the bacteria through the generation of a  “respiratory burst”,  causing the release of reactive oxygen species.  Pathogens also stimulate the macrophage to produce chemokines,  which summons other cells to the site of infection.

Neutrophils                             to top
Neutrophils,  along with two other cell types;  eosinophils and basophils  (see below),  are known as granulocytes due to the presence of granules in their cytoplasm,  or as polymorphonuclear cells  (PMNs)  due to their distinctive lobed nuclei.  Neutrophil granules contain a variety of toxic substances that kill or inhibit growth of bacteria and fungi.  Similar to macrophages,  neutrophils attack pathogens by activating a respiratory burst.  The main products of the neutrophil respiratory burst are strong oxidizing agents including hydrogen peroxide,  free oxygen radicals and hypochlorite.  Neutrophils are the most abundant type of phagocyte,  normally representing 50 to 60% of the total circulating leukocytes,  and are usually the first cells to arrive at the site of an infection.  The bone marrow of a normal healthy adult produces more than 100 billion neutrophils per day,  and more than 10 times that many per day during acute inflammation.

Dendritic cells
Dendritic cells  (DC)  are phagocytic cells present in tissues that are in contact with the external environment,  mainly the skin  (where they are often called Langerhans cells),  and the inner mucosal lining of the nose,  lungs,  stomach,  and intestines.  They are named for their resemblance to neuronal dendrites,  but dendritic cells are not connected to the nervous system.  Dendritic cells are very important in the process of antigen presentation,  and serve as a link between the innate and adaptive immune systems.

Basophils and eosinophils
Basophils and eosinophils are cells related to the neutrophil  (see above).  When activated by a pathogen encounter,  basophils releasing histamine are important in defense against parasites,  and play a role in allergic reactions  (such as asthma).  Upon activation,  eosinophils secrete a range of highly toxic proteins and free radicals that are highly effective in killing bacteria and parasites,  but are also responsible for tissue damage occurring during allergic reactions.  Activation and toxin release by eosinophils is,  therefore, tightly regulated to prevent any inappropriate tissue destruction.

Natural killer cells
Natural killer cells,  or NK cells,  are a component of the innate immune system that does not directly attack invading microbes.  Rather,  NK cells destroy compromised host cells,  such as tumor cells or virus-infected cells,  recognizing such cells by a condition known as  "missing self."  This term describes cells with abnormally low levels of a cell-surface marker called MHC I  (major histocompatibility complex)  - a situation that can arise in viral infections of host cells.  They were named  "natural killer"  because of the initial notion that they do not require activation in order to kill cells that are  "missing self."  For many years,  it was unclear how NK cell recognize tumor cells and infected cells.  It is now known that the MHC makeup on the surface of those cells is altered and the NK cells become activated through recognition of  "missing self".  Normal body cells are not recognized and attacked by NK cells because they express intact self MHC antigens.  Those MHC antigens are recognized by killer cell immunoglobulin receptors  (KIR)  that,  in essence,  put the brakes on NK cells.  The NK-92 cell line does not express KIR and is developed for tumor therapy.

γδ T cells (gamma/delta T cells)
Like other  'unconventional'  T cell subsets bearing invariant T cell receptors (TCRs),  such as CD1d-restricted Natural Killer T cells,  γδ T cells exhibit characteristics that place them at the border between innate and adaptive immunity.  On one hand,  γδ T cells may be considered a component of adaptive immunity in that they rearrange TCR genes to produce junctional diversity and develop a memory phenotype.  However,  the various subsets may also be considered part of the innate immune system where a restricted TCR or NK receptors may be used as a pattern recognition receptor.  For example,  according to this paradigm,  large numbers of Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells respond within hours to common molecules produced by microbes,  and highly restricted intraepithelial Vδ1 T cells will respond to stressed epithelial cells.

Other vertebrate mechanisms                             to top
The coagulation system overlaps with the immune system.  Some products of the coagulation system can contribute to the non-specific defenses by their ability to increase vascular permeability and act as chemotactic agents for phagocytic cells.  In addition,  some of the products of the coagulation system are directly antimicrobial.  For example,  beta-lysine,  a protein produced by platelets during coagulation,  can cause lysis of many Gram-positive bacteria by acting as a cationic detergent.  Many acute-phase proteins of inflammation are involved in the coagulation system.  Also increased levels of lactoferrin and transferrin inhibit bacterial growth by binding iron,  an essential nutrient for bacteria.

Neural regulation of innate immunity
The innate immune response to infectious and sterile injury is modulated by neural circuits that control cytokine production period.  The Inflammatory Reflex is a prototypical neural circuit that controls cytokine production in spleen.  Action potentials transmitted via the vagus nerve to spleen mediate the release of acetylcholine,  the neurotransmitter that inhibits cytokine release by interacting with alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors  (CHRNA7)  expressed on cytokine-producing cells.  The motor arc of the inflammatory reflex is termed the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.

Pathogen-specificity
[A chart included by Wikipedia ws omitted here for brevity]
The parts of the innate immune system have different specificity for different pathogens.  Complement has a specificity for extracellular fungi,  such as Candida,  Histoplasma,  and Cryptococcus.

Innate immune evasion
Cells of the innate immune system,  in effect,  prevent free growth of bacteria within the body;  however,  many pathogens have evolved mechanisms allowing them to evade the innate immune system.

Evasion strategies that circumvent the innate immune system include intracellular replication,  such as in Mycobacterium tuberculosis,  or a protective capsule that prevents lysis by complement and by phagocytes,  as in salmonella.  Bacteroides species are normally mutualistic bacteria,  making up a substantial portion of the mammalian gastrointestinal flora.  Some species  (B. fragilis, for example)  are opportunistic pathogens,  causing infections of the peritoneal cavity.  These species evade the immune system through inhibition of phagocytosis by affecting the receptors that phagocytes use to engulf bacteria or by mimicking host cells so that the immune system does not recognize them as foreign.  Staphylococcus aureus inhibits the ability of the phagocyte to respond to chemokine signals.  Other organisms such as M. tuberculosis,  Streptococcus pyogenes,  and Bacillus anthracis utilize mechanisms that directly kill the phagocyte.

Bacteria and fungi may also form complex biofilms,  providing protection from the cells and proteins of the immune system;  recent studies indicate that such biofilms are present in many successful infections,  including the chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia infections characteristic of cystic fibrosis.

[End of Wikipedia section]                             to top