Revised 08/2022
MDL 215 - Immunology (2 CR.)
Course Description
Presents the physiological basis of humoral and cell mediated immunity, including the medical and clinical laboratory application of immunological principles.
Lecture 2 hours per week.
General Course Purpose
To provide students with basic theory in immunology relating to clinical laboratory testing and disease processes. It also provides a foundation for the immunohematology (blood banking) course, which is one of the four major disciplines in clinical laboratory science.
Course Prerequisites/Corequisites
- Students should be enrolled in the first year of the Medical Laboratory Technology AAS degree program.
- Corequisite: MDL 101 with a minimum grade of “C” or program director approval.
Course Objectives
Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss the history of immunology, including the development of vaccines.
- Describe the cells involved in cellular and humoral immunity and contrast their roles.
- List the five types of immunoglobulins.
- Characterize host-parasite relationships in infectious disease.
- Discuss immunodeficiency and its effect on the immune system.
- List the five types of hypersensitivity reactions and give examples of each.
- Describe and interpret laboratory results for immunologic testing for hepatitis viruses
- Discuss the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation.
- Give examples of the application of the importance of the MHC system in tissue transplantation.
- Discuss the regulatory mechanisms of the immune system.
Major Topics to Be Included
- Characteristics of antigens
- Structure and production of immunoglobulins Macrophages
- B and T lymphocytes Immune response Complement system Immunity
- Antigen-antibody reactions Agglutination and Precipitation Hypersensitivity reactions
- Cell mediated immunity Autoimmunity Immunodeficiency
- Transplant and tumor immunity