The body has two immune systems: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system . Innate immunity is an antigen-nonspecific defense mechanisms that a host uses immediately or within several … These two systems work closely together and take on different tasks. The innate immune system is the body's first line of defense against intruders. It responds in the same way to all germs and foreign substances, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the "non-specific" immune system. Learn about the innate immune system, one of the two main immunity strategies in vertebrates and other organisms. It consists of anatomical barriers, inflammation, complement system, and white blood cells. In contrast to adaptive immune responses, which take days to arise following exposure to antigens, innate immunity consists of the defenses against infection that are ready for immediate action when a host is attacked by a pathogen (viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites).