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GCSE Biology · key term
Protection provided by harmless or beneficial microorganisms living on or in the body, usually through competition with pathogens.
Used by OCR
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
Revise: Non-specific DefencesThe defences can be grouped by their main mode of action: physical barriers block, trap or remove pathogens; chemical defences damage or kill them; and microbial defences use the body's normal microorganisms to make conditions less favourable for pathogens. One location can provide more than one kind of defence.
Classify a defence by how it works, not only by where it is. For example, skin is a physical barrier, but its antimicrobial secretions are a chemical defence and its normal microorganisms provide a microbial defence.
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