LF914-15 Immunology
Introductory description
The aim of this module is to achieve an overview of the immune system with a focus on adaptive immunity.
By the end of the course you will have a good understanding of the main molecular and cellular players in the immune system and how they interact.
You should have a good conceptual grasp of the role of the immune system in defining self from non-self and how T cells and B cells acquire this discrimination.
You should also be able to understand how important the balance of the immune system is and what happens when the normal status quo is disrupted.
Module aims
The aim of this module is to introduce students to one of the fundamental processes that underpin modern biomedical science: immunology. It builds on the material delivered in BS127 Agents of infectious disease and provides the preliminary understanding for the finally year module BS317 Advanced Immunology. Together with companion modules dealing with specific pathogens, the module considers many disease processes and their mitigation. Immunology deals with the basic processes of immunity to infection, but also covers aspect of hypersensitivity and auto-immune disease.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Immunology is presented as an overview of the immune system with a focus on T cell immunity, including:
- Recognition of antigen by the adaptive immune system.
- The TCR and MHC
- T-cell mediated immunity
- The humoral immune response
- Failure of immunity: evasion and subversion and immunodeficiency disease.
- Mucosal immunity
- Inappropriate activation: allergy and autoimmune disease
- Case studies of immune system disregulation and disease, including rheumatoid arthritis,
multiple sclerosis, and Crohn’s disease
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Level 5 understanding of the innate immune response
- Level 5 understanding of the adaptive immune response
- Level 5 understanding of immunological diversity
- Level 5 understanding of cytokines/cytokine receptors and their role in immune responses
- Level 5 understanding of clinical immunology
- Level 5 understanding of T and B cell mediated immunity
Indicative reading list
There are many good Immunology books for this level the rcourse recommended is Murphy, K. M., Travers, P. and Walport, M. Janeway’s Immunobiology, latest edn. (Garland Science).
Subject specific skills
Explain the main molecular and cellular players in the innate and adaptive immune system and their interaction.
Explain the role of the immune system in defining self from non-self and how T cells and B cells acquire this discrimination.
Transferable skills
Adult learning
Self directed learning
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 15 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
| Supervised practical classes | 1 session of 1 hour (0%) |
| Other activity | 10 hours (4%) |
| Private study | 124 hours (55%) |
| Assessment | 75 hours (33%) |
| Total | 225 hours |
Private study description
Self directed learning and revision for the final exam
Other activity description
In Module Assessment
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group D
| Weighting | Study time | |
|---|---|---|
| In-Module Assessment | 30% | 30 hours |
|
Authentic assessment, based on a common immunological problem or dataset researchers would deal with on a regular basis in the academic environment |
||
| In-person Examination | 70% | 45 hours |
|
1.5 hr exam- 45 min short answer question paper / 45 min essay based paper
|
||
Assessment group R
| Weighting | Study time | |
|---|---|---|
| In-person Examination - Resit | 100% | |
|
45 min SAQ paper / 45 min essay paper
|
||
Feedback on assessment
Final examination feedback is given to returning students as generalised feedback on what constituted a good essay; common mistakes/misconceptions and good practise are identified and shared.
There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.