Antimicrobial peptides are widely used in various organisms as a defense system against infection. The peptides are lethal towards bacteria and fungi, however have minimal toxicity in mammalian and plant cells. In this aspect, it is considered that antimicrobial peptides are new alternative materials for defensing against microbial infection. Here, we describe overall characteristics of antimicrobial peptides based on the mechanism of action, classification of the peptides, report detection/screening methods and chemical/biological production. It is expected that understanding of innate immune system based on antimicrobial peptides tends to develop novel natural antimicrobial agents, which might be applied for defensing pathogenic microorganisms resistant to conventional antibiotics.