What cells are key players in the immediate, generalized defense provided by innate immunity?
Answer
Macrophages and neutrophils
Macrophages and neutrophils are explicitly named as the key cellular components of the innate immune response that provide immediate defense. Their primary function within this system involves recognizing foreign material and subsequently engulfing and destroying it through the process known as phagocytosis. This rapid action is characteristic of the innate system, which is pre-programmed and ready immediately upon infection, relying on recognizing broad molecular patterns common across pathogen classes, rather than requiring the detailed identification process characteristic of the adaptive system.
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