526-304 Principles of Immunology
Page Contents
Include: Subject Information | Generic Skills
Also see
- Subject Timetable (Link to Subject Timetable in Student Information System)
- Lecture Schedule (To be added once finalised)
- Quality of Teaching Survey 2008 - Response to student feedback - will be posted when available
- LMS link - announcements, lectures, quizzes etc. (NB. This is a password protected site only available to students who are currently enrolled in this subject.)
Subject Information
Coordinator:
Credit points: 12.5
Prerequisites:
At least 37.5 points of theory and 12.5 points of practical 200-level subjects from microbiology and immunology, biochemistry, pathology, physiology, anatomy, cell biology or genetics.
BBiomed students:
521-213 and 536-250.
Semester: 1
Contact:
36 lectures (three a week)
Description/Objectives:
The course is divided into four sections:
- Overview to give an integrated background for those with little or no immunological knowledge;
- Molecular aspects, describing antibodies, T cell receptors and MHC molecules;
- Cellular aspects, discussing antigen presenting cells, and T and B lymphocytes in making antibody and cellular responses; and
- Clinical aspects of immunology.
- Lectures provide an outline emphasising the important points which you are expected to know.
- Textbooks allow you to check what you missed in the lectures, and to further expand your knowledge.
- References relevant to each lecture are provided to be helpful, not to prescribe or proscribe your reading.
- Handouts summarising main points of lecture will be available in each lecture.
- Surplus handouts will be available from the librarian in the Heather Jenkin Library, Dept. Microbiology and Immunology.
- Slides from the lectures will be made available on computer at intervals as this becomes possible.
- You will need to take full lecture notes in addition to the handouts.
- You will note that the lecturers speak at length to each slide, and what they are saying illuminates that slide, and is essential knowledge.
- Exam questions are based on what is said in the lecture, although you may be able to embroider on your answer with further reading.
By the completion of this course you should be able to describe and discuss:
- The development, function and regulation of cells of the immune system.
- The relationship between structure and function of antibody, lymphocyte receptors and MHC molecules
- The molecular basis of cell interactions in the immune response
- The basis of immunity to infection, autoimmune disease, hypersensitivity reactions, immunodeficiencies, and transplantation and tumour rejection.
Assessment:
There will be a 1 hour mid-term, mainly multiple choice, exam to give you feedback on your progress to that date, followed by a 2 hour end of semester exam which will include essay questions in which you will be expected to integrate the information you have been given in lectures.
Recommended text:
Abbas, Lichtman and Pober, Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 4th ed.
Generic Skills
Upon completion of this subject, students should understand the development, function and regulation of cells of the immune system; the relationship between structure and function of antibody, T cell receptor and MHC, and the molecular basis of cell interactions in the immune response. Students should be able to understand and critically assess the evidence for our current beliefs about the workings of the immune system. Students should understand and be able to discuss how the fundamental processes of the immune system relate to immunity to infection, autoimmunity, hypersensitivity, and transplantation and tumour immunology.