Innate immune responses are not specific to a particular pathogen in the way that the adaptive immune responses are. They depend on a group of proteins and phagocytic cells that recognize conserved features of pathogens and become quickly activated to help destroy invaders. Whereas the adaptive immune system arose in evolution less than 500 million years ago and is confined to vertebrates, innate immune responses have been found among both vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in plants, and the basic mechanisms that regulate them are conserved. As discussed in Chapter 24, the innate immune responses in vertebrates are also required to activate adaptive immune responses. Every day we are alive, humans encounter potentially harmful disease causing organisms, or “pathogens”, like bacteria or viruses. Yet most of us are still able to function properly and live life without constantly being sick. That’s because the human body requires a multilayered immune system to keep it running smoothly. The two main classes of the immune system are the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system, or “acquired immunity”. In this article, we’ll discuss the first line of defense: the innate immune system.