BIO372 : Immunology

Occasionally, the challenge makes us sick. Then the immune system finds the pathogens,eliminates them, and returns the body to a healthy condition.

Part of our defenses are general against any type of invader. But another part of the immune system is very specific for the exact microbe that makes us sick. Not only does the immune system return us to health, but it remembers the first encounter and protects us from getting sick again from the same pathogen.

The cells of the immune system are produced in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood and lymph. Wherever microbes enter the body, the cells of the immune system mobilize to combat the invasion.

We will take a look at the way the body defends itself against foreign invaders and examine some of the diseases in our environment.

• Defenses
• Diseases

After completing this module, you should be able to:

• Describe the ways that the body defends itself against viruses, bacteria, and parasites
• Distinguish between the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system
• Explain how retroviruses, especially HIV, attacks an organism and how the organism responds
• Explain how the immune system turns on the body and causes autoimmune diseases

To complete this module, you should:

• Read the papers for "The Immune Response" in the course pack.
• Open and read the hyper-text lessons for each topic in the unit, including the links in the body of each lesson.
• Submit assignments by the dates indicated on their respective pages.