Chapter 16: Innate Immunity:

Nonspecific Host Defenses

Macrophage
Host Defenses Against
Microorganisms
 Host Defenses Against Microorganisms cont’d

Susceptibility: Lack of resistance to a

disease
Resistance: Ability to ward off disease
Nonspecific resistance: “Generic”
defenses against any pathogen
Specific resistance: Acquired
immunity, resistance to a specific
pathogen
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE
Resistance
 NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE
First Line of Defense
• Cleansing flow of body fluids: Urine, sweat, tears
• Skin and Mucous Membranes:
Mechanical factors
Dermis, epidermis, keratin layers
Mucous membranes less protective
Lacrimal apparatus (with lysozyme)
Saliva, mucus, secretions
Chemical factors
Sebum (oily substance on skin)
Perspiration
Gastric juice
Transferrins (iron-binding proteins)
• Normal microbiota: Microbial antagonism
 NONSPECIFIC
RESISTANCE cont’d
First Line of Defense

Skin & Mucous

Membranes
Skin:
• Epidermis
consists of
tightly packed
cells with keratin,
a protective
protein
Skin
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE cont’d First Line of Defense

Lacrimal Apparatus
 NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE cont’d First Line of Defense

Ciliary Escalator: Microbes in lower respiratory tract

are trapped in mucus made by goblet cells, then
propelled upward by cilia.
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE cont’d First Line of Defense

NORMAL MICROBIOTA

Microbial
antagonism
protects host
against
colonization by
pathogens
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE
Second Line of Defense

• Phagocytic white blood cells

(leukocytes)
• Inflammation
• Fever
• Antimicrobial substances
 Hematopoiesis
Production of blood cells from stem cells

(in bone marrow)

Plasma = the
liquid (non-
cellular) portion
of blood

Serum = plasma
minus blood-
clotting proteins
 Types of Leukocytes

“Professional”

Neutrophils are also called

polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs)

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE Second Line of Defense

Lymphatic
System
 Phagocytosis: Ingestion of microbes or
particles. Carried out mainly by
neutrophils & macrophages, minor role for
eosinophils

Actions of Phagocytic Cells: Fixed &

wandering macrophages make up the
Reticuloendothelial System (RES)
 Mechanism of Phagocytosis:
Chemotaxis – chemical attraction of
phagocytes to microorganisms
Adherence – attachment of phagocyte’s
plasma membrane to surface of microbe;
enhanced by opsonization
Ingestion – pseudopods engulf microbe, form
phagosome
Digestion – phagolysosome forms; digestive
enzymes & bactericidal substances destroy
microbe. Residual body transports waste
outside cell.
Macrophage
engulfing
bacteria
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE
Second Line of Defense

Steps in
Phagocytosis
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE
Second Line of Defense

• Phagocytic white blood cells

• Inflammation
• Fever
• Antimicrobial substances
 Inflammation
Triggered by microbial, chemical, or physical agents
Typical signs & symptoms: redness, pain, heat,
swelling
 Purposes of Inflammation
1.Destroy & remove injurious agent

2. If this isn’t possible, limit its

effects by confining or walling it
off (sometimes chronically)
3. Repair or replace damaged tissue

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE Second Line of Defense

 Stages of Inflammation:

Vasodilation & increased permeability

of blood vessels

Phagocyte migration & phagocytosis

Tissue repair

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE Second Line of Defense

Inflammation
 Inflammation cont’d
Tissue Repair:

Tissues regenerate, if possible.

Stroma (connective tissue) regeneration 

scarring
 
Parenchyma (functional cell) regeneration 
restoration to original cells
NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE
Second Line of Defense

• Phagocytic white blood cells

• Inflammation
• Fever
• Antimicrobial substances
 Fever
Systemic response triggered by
interleukin-1 from phagocytes
 
IL-1  hypothalamus releases
prostaglandins  resets “thermostat”
upward (blood vessel constriction &
shivering help raise temp)
(Review Fig. 15.6)

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE Second Line of Defense

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE
Second Line of Defense

• Phagocytic white blood cells

• Inflammation
• Fever
• Antimicrobial substances
 Antimicrobial Substances

The Complement (C’) System

Interferons

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE Second Line of Defense

 The Complement System
Serum proteins that participate in
lysis of foreign cells, inflammation,
& phagocytosis
 
Activated by either of two
pathways:
Antigen-Antibody reaction
Microbial cell walls

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE Second Line of Defense

 Classical
Pathway of
Complement
Activation
 AFTER

BEFORE
Cytolysis caused by
complement
Inflammation Stimulated by Complement

(a) C3a and C5a bind to mast cells, basophils and platelets triggers
histamine release increases vascular permeability
(b) C5a attracts phagocytes to site of C’ activation
 Antimicrobial Substances cont’d

Interferons
Antiviral proteins produced by
animal cells to interfere with viral
multiplication
 
Not virus-specific

NONSPECIFIC RESISTANCE Second Line of Defense

Antiviral Action of Interferons