Final answer:
Fever is not a cardinal sign of inflammation. The cardinal signs are redness, swelling, pain, and local heat, with loss of function as a potential fifth sign, while fever is a systemic immune response.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fever is not a cardinal sign characteristic of inflammation. The four anciently described cardinal signs of inflammation, as documented by Cornelius Celsus, are redness, swelling, pain, and local heat. A fifth sign, loss of function, is sometimes included. While inflammation is the hallmark of the innate immune response and can occur due to tissue injuries or infections, fever is a systemic response that involves an elevated body temperature affecting the entire body, primarily induced to stimulate the immune system, rather than a localized reaction to injury or infection.