Innate immunity provides the body’s first defence against a wide range of pathogens, without prior exposure or the need for highly specific recognition, providing rapid and generalized protection. It is an essential component of the body’s immune system, working with adaptive immunity. It is comprised of various mechanisms and components that collectively contribute to a rapid response against infections. A key aspect of innate immunity is its relatively non-specific nature. It differs from adaptive immunity, which relies on the recognition of specific antigens through the generation of unique antibodies and T-cell receptors. Instead, innate immunity utilizes pre-existing mechanisms that detect and neutralize pathogens. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are central to the initial process of pathogen detection. PRRs are present on several immune cells types likely to encounter pathogens including macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils, as well as on some non-immune cells. PRRs can recognize molecular motifs associated with groups of pathogens, known as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). PRRs include the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are crucial for identifying bacterial, viral, and fungal components, and NOD-like receptors (NLRs), which sense intracellular threats like bacterial components in infected cells. Another critical element of innate immunity is phagocytosis, whereby specialized immune cells (phagocytes) engulf and proteolyze pathogens. Macrophages and neutrophils are the primary phagocytes as they possess receptors that recognize microbial molecules, triggering engulfment. Upon phagocytosis, the pathogens are broken down within specialized compartments, and the resulting peptides can be presented to other immune cells to help initiate an adaptive immune response. The complement system is another essential arm of innate immunity. It comprises a series of plasma proteins which are activated by the presence of pathogens and assist in their destruction. This system promotes inflammation, opsonization (tagging pathogens for phagocytosis), and direct lysis of infected target cells. Innate immunity also includes the activities of natural killer (NK) cells. These cells can recognize and eliminate virus-infected cells without prior exposure. NK cells assess the expression of surface molecules on target cells to determine whether they are healthy or potentially harmful. Healthy cells typically express MHC-I molecules, and inhibitory receptors on NK cells, such as killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), recognize MHC-I molecules, sending a signal to the NK cell to prevent activation. When NK cells encounter cells with reduced or absent MHC-I expression, due to infection, the inhibitory signal is diminished, allowing the activating (killing) signals to dominate. Inflammation is an additional hallmark of the innate immune response and serves to contain and eliminate pathogens. When tissue damage or infection occurs, immune cells release cytokines and chemokines, which attract more immune cells to the affected area. This influx of immune cells can lead to redness, warmth, swelling, and pain which constitutes inflammation. Finally, the innate immune system also has a role in shaping adaptive immune responses. Dendritic cells, specialized antigen-presenting cells, capture antigens from pathogens and present their peptides to T cells. Such antigen presentation is essential for activating T-cell responses, which coordinates an adaptive immune response to infection. We provide a comprehensive product catalogue of research tools for investigating innate immunity, including TNF alpha antibodies, Interferon gamma antibodies, CD14 antibodies, IL6 ELISA Kits, and TNF alpha ELISA Kits. Explore our full innate immunity product range below and discover more, for less. Alternatively, you can explore our Cytokines, Macrophage & Inflammation, and TLR Signaling product ranges.