What is the term for the body’s response to infection or tissue injury?

The body's response to infection or tissue injury is referred to as inflammation. This complex process is initiated when tissues are damaged or invaded by pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses. Inflammation serves several important functions, including isolating the affected area to prevent the spread of infection, recruiting immune cells to eliminate pathogens, and initiating the healing process.

During inflammation, various biochemical mediators are released, leading to signs such as redness, warmth, swelling, and pain in the affected area. This response is critical for treating and repairing tissue damage, as well as for fighting off infections.

Other processes, while related, do not specifically define the body's reaction to infection or injury. Hemostasis refers to the process of stopping bleeding, fever is an elevated body temperature that can accompany infections but is not the direct response itself, and shock is a severe condition that occurs when the body's organs do not receive enough blood flow, often as a result of an underlying issue, but is not specifically a response to infection or injury.