How Does the Alternative Pathway Protect Against Pathogens?
The alternative pathway plays a critical role in protecting against pathogens through several mechanisms:
Opsonization: C3b binds to pathogen surfaces, marking them for phagocytosis by immune cells. Inflammation: C3a and C5a, produced during the pathway's activation, act as anaphylatoxins, attracting immune cells to the site of infection and promoting inflammation. Cell Lysis: The terminal components of the pathway form the membrane attack complex (MAC), which creates pores in the pathogen's membrane, leading to cell lysis.
