Table 1.

General Comparison of Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Vertebrates.

Innate (Non-specific Immunity)	Adaptive (Specific Immunity)
First line of defense	Second line of defense
Cellular and secreted components: cytokines, chemokines, microbicides	Humoral and Cell Mediated Protection
Response is antigen-independent	Response is antigen-dependent
Immediate response	Lag time between exposure and maximal response (antibody production)
Not antigen-specific	Antigen-specific (Antibody specificity)
Exposure results in no immunologic memory, but can be enhanced after exposure to antigen through effects of cytokines	Exposure results in immunologic memory