A person suffering from a common cold caused by a rhinovirus experiences excessive mucus production in the respiratory tract. Meanwhile, the virus-infected cells of the respiratory epithelium secrete specific protective proteins to prevent the infection of adjacent healthy cells. Which two types of innate immunity barriers are respectively represented by the mucus coating and the protective proteins mentioned in the

Step-by-step solution

The excessive mucus production in the respiratory tract acts as a physical barrier. According to NCERT, the mucus coating of the epithelium lining the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital tracts helps in trapping microbes entering our body, forming a physical barrier of innate immunity. The specific protective proteins secreted by virus-infected cells are interferons. Interferons protect non-infected cells from further viral infection and constitute the cytokine barrier of innate immunity. Therefore, the m