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Unit of Study MEDC2001 - Immunology (2022)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    This unit contains laboratory activities that require students to meet mandatory vaccination compliance requirements prior to attending. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in you being unable to undertake the stipulated Laboratory Activity which may result in failure of the unit. As some vaccination protocols can take up to 5 months to complete, we encourage you to prepare now. Compliance requirements include SCU Vaccination requirements in accordance with state Health policies: NSW Vaccination Against Specified Infectious Diseases; and QLD Health Vaccination Requirements. SCU has incorporated a combined NSW and QLD vaccination procedure as students may need to attend laboratory classes in both states. Full details are available at www.scu.edu.au/healthplacements.

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

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:

discuss immune system development, innate and adaptive immunity, and the generation of immune memory and tolerance

outline blood cell development, including different cell types and their roles in haemostasis and coagulation

describe the major histocompatibility complex molecules, their gene subtypes,and their importance in tissue transplantation

explain immune cell activation, including the influence different groups of antigen have on this process, and on vaccine development

compare and contrast dysfunctions of the immune system

generate, present and critically analyse experimental immunological data to solve scientific problems in the biomedical setting

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Owen, J, Punt, J & Stanford, S, 2018, Kuby Immunology, 8th edn, Freeman, W.H. & Company, USA. ISBN: 9781319114701.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.