immunity: Nonspecific Defenses

Nonspecific defenses include physical and chemical barriers, the inflammatory response, and interferons. Physical barriers include the intact skin and mucous membranes. These barriers are aided by various antimicrobial chemicals in tissue and fluids. An example of such a substance is lysozyme, an enzyme present in tears that destroys the cell membranes of certain bacteria.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Undesirable Immune Responses and Conditions
• Active and Passive Immunity
• T Lymphocytes
• Antibodies
• B Lymphocytes
• The Immune Response
• Nonsusceptibility
• Interferons
• Inflammatory Response
• Nonspecific Defenses
• Bibliography

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