https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.13498
Host defense mechanisms that do not require prior exposure to antigen.
Note: Nonimmunological defense may involve the actions of macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells, mucocutaneous or integumental barriers, the action of cilia or microvilli, or physiological processes, e.g., urinary outflow, vascular perfusion of tissues, or the presence of native flora, which "outcompete" pathogens.