Final answer:
Macrophages are the cells involved in innate immunity capable of phagocytizing pathogens and producing inflammation-promoting chemicals. They are a crucial part of the body's first-line defense in the innate immune system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cell type involved in innate immunity that can both phagocytize pathogens and produce chemicals promoting inflammation is macrophages. Innate immunity is the first line of defense in the immune system, featuring non-specific mechanisms that target pathogens immediately or within hours of an antigen's appearance in the body.
Macrophages are a type of white blood cell present in the tissue that originates from monocytes, another type of white blood cell that circulates in the bloodstream. These cells are crucial to the innate immune response because they are capable of phagocytosis, a process where they engulf and destroy pathogens, as well as produce pro-inflammatory cytokines that signal other immune cells to the site of infection.
Other innate immune cells include natural killer cells, mast cells, and neutrophils, all of which play various roles in the body's first-line defense against invading pathogens. While B cells and plasma cells are also involved in the immune response, their roles are primarily in the adaptive immune system, where they produce and secrete antibodies specific to antigens previously encountered by the immune system.