Inflammation is defined as the body's response to injury or infection. It can be caused by infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, and parasites, or non-infectious agents like physical trauma, chemicals, or foreign bodies. The signs of inflammation are redness, swelling, heat, pain, and loss of function. Acute inflammation involves vascular changes like increased blood flow and permeability, as well as cellular events like exudation of leukocytes and phagocytosis of microbes. The type and severity of inflammatory response depends on factors related to the infectious agent, host defenses, and type of tissue involved.