Major properties of the innate and acquired immune response

Major properties of the innate and acquired immune response

Innate

Adaptive

Characteristics

Recognises generic microbial structures

Antigen specific responses

Immediately mobilised (minutes)

Slow response (days)

No memory

Memory

Genetically encoded

Not genetically encoded

Essentially identical responses in all individuals

Acquired as an adaptive response to exposure to antigen

Cells must be “educated” within the host because disconnected from evolutionary selection

Present in invertebrates and vertebrates

Present in vertebrates only

Immune components

External barriers (eg skin)

T and B lymphocytes

Phagocytes

Natural killer cells

Soluble mediators eg complement

Secreted molecules eg antibody

Pattern recognition molecules

Antigen-specific receptors