BIO 205

Chapter 19
 Innate
Immunity
An Overview to Host Immune Defenses
Blood Cells Form an Important Defense for Innate
and Acquired Immunity

Serum is the fluid part of blood, containing:

•minerals
•salts
•proteins, etc.

Plasma is serum that contains clotting agents

Leukocytes (white blood cells) are produced in the
bone marrow

Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes

[PMNs]) are phagocytes

Eosinophophils contain toxic compounds to

defend against multicellular parasites

Basophils are similar to mast cells, acting in

allergic reactions
Monocytes are phagocytes that mature into
macrophages in tissue

Lymphocytes move to the lymph nodes after

maturation

Natural killer (NK) cells destroy virus-infected and

abnormal cells

B lymphocytes and T lymphocytesare involved in

acquired immunity

Dendritic cells are found in the skin and other

points of pathogen origin
•They are involved in acquired immunity
The Lymphatic System Is Composed of Cells and
Tissues Essential to Immune Function

Lymph is the clear fluid surrounding tissue cells and

filling intercellular spaces

The lymphatic system maintains and distributes

lymphocytes
The primary lymphoid
tissues are the thymus
and bone marrow

The secondary lymphoid

tissues are the spleen
and lymph nodes

•The spleen contains

cells that monitor
and fight infectious
microbes

•The lymph nodes

contain phagocytes
and lymphocytes
Structure of a Lymph Node
Innate and Acquired Immunity Are Essential Components of a
Fully Functional Human Immune System

Innate immunity (nonspecific resistance) is genetically-

encoded to recognize:

•common pathogenic features

•foreign substances

Cytokines are chemical signals sent by many immune cells to

tissues involved with initiating acquired immunity

Acquired immunity (specific resistance) involves production

of:
•lymphocytes
•antibodies specific to the pathogen causing infection
The Innate Immune Response
Mechanical, Chemical, and Microbiological Barriers Are
Exposed First Lines of Defense

The skin is a mechanical barrier

Breaches of the skin may allow microbes to enter the

blood

If a pathogen is detected by Langerhans cells, they

phagocytize it and induce an acquired immune resonse

Mucous membrane cells produce mucus to trap microbes

Lactobacillus in the human vagina decrease the pH, which

resists infection
• The low pH in the stomach destroys most pathogens

• Defensins are antimicrobial peptides found in various

bodily secretions

• Lysozyme, found in tears, sweat, and saliva, lyses gram-

positive bacterial cells

• Interferons are cytokines that trigger:

1. macrophage activation
2. production of substances to interfere with RNA viral
reproduction

• The normal microbiota of the body outcompete

pathogens for nutrients and attachment sites
Phagocytosis Is a Nonspecific Defense Mechanism to
Clear Microbes from Infected Tissues

•Phagocytosis is the capture and digestion of

foreign particles

•Chemokines are cytokines that attract

macrophages and neutrophils to infected tissues

•Opsonins attach to microbes to increase the

ability of phagocytes to adhere (opsonization)
 Phagocytized microbes are held in a phagosome
The phagosome is acidified, killing or inactivating the pathogen

Phagosomes also fuse with lysosomes (phagolysosome)

Enzymes and other products kill and digest the pathogen

Phagocytosis Movie
The Process of
Inflammation
Moderate Fever Benefits Host Defenses

Low to moderate fever supports the immune system by:

•inhibiting rapid microbial growth

•encouraging rapid tissue repair
•heightening phagocytosis

Pyrogens are cytokines produced by:

•some leukocytes
•fragments from pathogens

They affect the hypothalamus, causing elevated body

temperature

If a temperature rises above 105°F in an adult, host metabolic

inhibition can occur

•This can cause convulsions and death

Natural Killer Cells Recognize and Kill Abnormal Cells

NK cells are formed in the bone marrow, and migrate to:

•tonsils
•lymph nodes
•Spleen

When activated, they produce cytokines that trigger

response by macrophages and other cells

Then they move into blood and lymph where they kill:

•cancer cells
•virus-infected cells
When an NK cell recognizes a cell as “non-self” it releases
cytotoxic perforins and granzymes
 Complement

•Complement Marks Pathogens for Destruction

•Complement is a series of proteins that circulate in the

bloodstream

•They activate in the presence of microbes

•In the classical pathway, antibody-microbe complexes

activate complement proteins that activate C3 convertase

•In the alternative pathway, the complement protein C3

binds to the pathogen cell surface to activate C3
convertase
Innate Immunity Depends on Receptor-Recognition of
Common Pathogen-Associated Molecules

Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)

help the innate immune system recognize
pathogens

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are signaling receptors

on:

•macrophages
•dendritic cells
•endothelial cells
 Toll-like receptors

•TLRs mediate a specific

response to distinct PAMPs

•They stimulate the

secretion of cytokines,

•For example, those that

stimulate production of
acute phase proteins

•The TLR response must

be regulated to prevent
infection and immune
disorders