Final answer:
The complement activation pathway that is triggered by the non-specific binding of proteins to pathogen surfaces is known as the alternate pathway.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pathway of complement activation that depends on non-specific binding of proteins to pathogen surfaces is known as the alternate pathway. This pathway does not require antibodies for activation. Instead, the alternate pathway involves the spontaneous activation of complement component C3, leading to the cleavage of C3 and subsequent binding of the larger fragment, C3b, to the pathogen surface. The bound C3b can then initiate the formation of the membrane-attack complex (MAC), which can lyse the pathogen. Unlike the alternate pathway, the classical pathway requires the presence of antibodies bound to antigens, while the lectin pathway is triggered by the binding of mannose-binding lectin to pathogen surfaces.