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innate immunity
This term describes the biological defense mechanisms that are present from birth. It is characterized by its lack of specificity, meaning it attacks all foreign invaders using the same general tools rather than tailoring a response to a specific strain of virus or bacteria.
In a medical or scientific register, it is strictly contrasted with adaptive immunity. While adaptive immunity involves a learning process and memory, innate immunity is immediate and does not change based on previous exposure to a pathogen.
Meanings
The non-specific first line of defense of the immune system that provides an immediate response to pathogens regardless of whether the body has encountered them before.
The body relies on innate immunity to provide a rapid, general response to infection before the adaptive immune system activates.