BIOL 221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Epithelium, Mucous Membrane, Mast Cell
1 Mar 2020
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Document Summary
Innate resistance - overview: physical barriers (1st line of defense, chemical defenses, cellular defenses, fever. Mechanisms of innate resistance include physical barriers, chemical and cellular defenses, and fever. Physical barriers serve as the first line of defense against disease and include intact epithelial membranes, mucus, hairs, cilia, and fluids such as tears, saliva and urine. Chemical defenses involve antimicrobial proteins, low ph, and chemical mediators. Cellular defenses include inflammation and direct action by leukocytes. Fever is an elevation in body temperature that increases the activity of the immune system and is detrimental to some pathogens. We will look at details of each of these mechanisms. Mucous membranes: mucus, hairs, cilia, fluids (tears, saliva, urine) Physical barriers include intact epithelial membranes such as the skin and mucous membranes, mucus, hairs and cilia associated with those membranes, and fluid such as tears, saliva and urine. Intact skin (cutaneous membrane) is an important physical barrier against many pathogens.
