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Unit of Study MDC72010 - Immunology (2020)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

  • Enrolment restriction

    To enrol in this unit you need to submit a Unit Approval Request (UAR) as this unit contains laboratory activities and/or professional experience learning that require students to fulfil certain vaccination and compliance requirements prior to attending. On receipt of the UAR, the School’s Professional Experience Unit (PEU) will then contact you to ensure you are aware of the requirements and take the necessary steps to be compliant in time for start of session. Failure to comply with requirements will result in you being unable to undertake the stipulated Laboratory Activity and/or Professional Experience Learning which may result in failure of the unit. Full details are available at www.scu.edu.au/clinicalplacements.

Unit description

Extends students' knowledge of the immune system, including concepts of innate and acquired immune responses and how specificity and diversity develops. Provides foundations in haematology and transfusion science, including blood cell development, haemostasis, coagulation and transfusion reactions.

Unit content

  • Foundation concepts of the immune system, including innate and adaptive immunity
  • Foundation concepts of immunohaematology, including haematopoiesis, haemostasis and coagulation
  • Structure and function of the complement system and immune receptors, including B cell receptors, antibody, T cell receptors and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
  • Humoral and cellular immunity, including B and T cell development, activation, differentiation and memory, with an understanding of the signalling molecules involved
  • The development of tolerance, and the importance of ABO and MHC cross-matching in tissue transplantation
  • Disorders of the immune system, including an overview of allergy, hypersensitivity, chronic inflammation, autoimmunity and immunodeficiency 
  • Immune responses to infectious diseases and an overview of vaccine development

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast
Session2
Session2

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 discuss immune system development, innate and adaptive immunity, and the generation of immune memory and tolerance
2 outline blood cell development, including different cell types and their roles in haemostasis and coagulation
3 describe the major histocompatibility complex molecules, their gene subtypes,and their importance in tissue transplantation
4 explain immune cell activation, including the influence different groups of antigen have on this process, and on vaccine development
5 compare and contrast dysfunctions of the immune system
6 generate, present and critically analyse experimental immunological data to solve scientific problems in the biomedical setting

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. discuss immune system development, innate and adaptive immunity, and the generation of immune memory and tolerance
    • GA4:
  2. outline blood cell development, including different cell types and their roles in haemostasis and coagulation
    • GA4:
  3. describe the major histocompatibility complex molecules, their gene subtypes,and their importance in tissue transplantation
    • GA4:
  4. explain immune cell activation, including the influence different groups of antigen have on this process, and on vaccine development
    • GA4:
  5. compare and contrast dysfunctions of the immune system
    • GA4:
  6. generate, present and critically analyse experimental immunological data to solve scientific problems in the biomedical setting
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method
Laboratory session 3 hrs (2 wks)
Lecture online 20 hrs (Across 12 wks)
Workshop on-site 1 hr (8 wks)
Laboratory session 4 hrs (2 wks)
Assessment
Quiz 10%
Exam: closed book 50%
Competency Check 10%
Exam: closed book 30%

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.