Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Body Structure and Function: Blood and Immune System
Teaching staff
Students may ask lecturers questions at the end of each class. For enquiries outside of class time, students must make an appointment by email:
Responsable: Javier Jiménez (jjimenez@uic.es)
Helena Muley (elenamuley@uic.es)
Ramon Salinas (rsalinas@bst.cat) / rsalinas@uic.es
Noelia Pérez (nperez@uic.es)
Antoni Parcerisas (aparcerisas@uic.es)
Laura Gasa Colom (lgasa@uic.es)
Víctor Manuel Díaz Cortés (vmdiaz@uic.es)
Introduction
Two large pieces of knowledge are grouped under the name “Blood Physiology and Immune system”. In one hand the study of the blood from the point of view of the physiology, providing a description of all its components, the function and the relevance for the human being. In the other hand, the immunology, (mechanisms displayed for our body to get defended or to interact with eventual infections or malfunction of some of our cells). Both systems bears an special interest for sanitary students so the idea of this subject focus on provide to the student knowledge related to them not only in both health and disease situations, but also the human health incidence determined by the development of the blood and immune system knowledge .
Pre-course requirements
We consider indispensable to have a previous knowledge in biochemistry, human genetics, molecular biology, cellular biology. All these subjects have been scheduled before in the medicine studies.
Objectives
Provide basic ideas on the blood anatomy and function
Provide a description of the immune system both from a structural and functional point of view either in health and disease conditions.
Provide the idea of the homeostatic role played by both systems and it essentiality in the right functioning of the body.
Understand the relevance in terms of human health determined by the development in the understanding of the blood and the immune system.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
Once attended the subject, the student will have a broad view over the components of the blood ant it functioning both in the homeostatic role and in the role of container of the immune system. The student will obtain a whole vision of the blood and immune system both in health and disease conditions. Finally, the student will be able to know, analyse and interpret the data coming from the different techniques in the science fields.
- 07 - Understand and recognise normal structure and function of the human body at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ and systemetic levels, at different stages of life and in both sexes.
- 09 - Understand and recognize the effects, mechanisms and manifestations of disease on the structure and function of the human body.
- 10 - To understand and recognise the agents and risk factors which determine health status, and learn how they determine the symptoms and natural development of acute or chronic diseases in individuals and populations.
- 11 - Understand and recognize the effects of growth, development and aging on the individual and their social environment.
- 12 - Understanding the foundations for action, the indications and efficacy of therapeutic interventions, based on available scientific evidence.
- CTP-3 - To develop critical thinking and reasoning as well as self-assessment skills.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Comprehensive knowledge of the blood and its components.
Knowledge of the blood function and specifically of the immune system.
Transfer to the human health of the knowledge accumulated on the immune system.
Blood diseases and immune disorders
Interpretation of clinical data related to the blood and immune system
Knowledge of the different tools for the study of the blood and the immune system.
Syllabus
Blood Physiology
Theme 1. Blood physiology and hemostasis
Theme 2 Hematopoiesis
Theme 3. The erythrocyte
Blood and immune system histology
Theme 1. Peripheral blood. Erythrocytes. Platelets.
Theme 2. Peripheral blood. Leukocytes: neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes.
Theme 3. I. Bone marrow and hematopoiesis Microscopic structure. Sinusoids. Supporting cells. Hematopoiesis. Erythropoiesis.
Theme 4. Hematopoiesis II. Granulopoiesis. Lymphopoiesis. Monopoyesis. Thrombopoiesis.
Theme 5. Lymphoid Tissues. Lymph node. Microscopic Structure: Capsule, sinuses, cortex and medulla. Lymphoid follicles.
Theme 6. Sifuso lymphoid tissue and nodular. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Tonsils. Cecal appendix. Peyer's patches.
Theme 7. Timo. Microscopic structure: cortex and medulla. Epithelial and lymphoid cells.
Theme 8. Spleen. Microscopic structure: white pulp. Red pulp. Splenic blood circulation.
Immunology for physicians
Theme 1. Immune system description: the immune system, the sixth sense, structure and function of the immune system: organs, cells, molecules.
Theme 2. The innate part of the immune system: the complement system, the macrophage.
Theme 3. The adaptive part of the immune system: antigens, antigen-presentation, the MCH/HLA system, the T and B lymphocyte, generation of diversity in the immune system.
Theme 4. The immune system in action: immunity against microorganisms, tumours, transplants, vaccines
Theme 5. Immune system dysfunctions: immune tolerance, immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, hypersensitivity
Theme 6. Immunological techniques: antibodies poli/monoclonals, flow cytometry, ELISA, cell lines, cellular cultures.
Problem based learning:
Vaccines: flu, AIDS, malaria
Transplants immunology
Immunology during the pregnancy
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The docent resources that will be used in the present subject are:
Problems based Learning: We will provide the student with a real or imaginary situation microbiology related. The student will work in groups on the posed questions and on a previously scheduled day will present the conclusions for 30 min. This will be time for discussion with the rest of the students giving answers to all the eventually questions that may appear.
Practical learning: The students will be used to the basic microbiologic techniques in a lab. We will provide backup for some of the aspects treated during the lectures. And provide evidence of some of the theoretical treated information.
Lecture: Exposition for two hours (10 min rest) of a theoretical topic by the professor supported by multi-media technology. The student will have the contents in advance by means of an inner informatics network.
Online information: Some contents, either because of the impossibility to be treated by another mean or because laid in a basically electronic format will be provided in a place accessible to all the students from any computer.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The final grade for the course is calculated by adding the following marks:
-A multiple-choice mid-term exam that will account for 20% of the final grade and the contents are not released from the final-term exam
-Practical course grade: 10% (compulsory assistance to pass the subject). Test at the end of the practical course.
-The clinical cases will be evaluated in the final exam and will constitute approximately 20% of the value of the course.
-A multiple-choice final-term exam that will determine 50% of the total grade. We require a minimum of 5 (out of 10) points on the final-term exam to pass the course.The pass is with 5.0 or higher.
-The teacher reserves 10% of the total grade to consider contributions and participation.
The exam will be a multi-response with 4 possible answers and only one will be right. The non-answered questions will not add or deduct, every wrong answer will deduct the equivalent to 33% of the value of a rightly answered question.
The final exam will include one or several short questions that will only be evaluated in students who obtain a grade higher than 7.5. Its purpose is to provide information when awarding outstanding grades (without prejudice to those who have already achieved it through the ordinary exam and evaluation) and honors.
The following activities of the course (practicals and midterm exam) will be considered in the second call but the final exam grade will not be saved
The different grades from the different activities from a course will not be considered in subsequent years.
Bibliography and resources
Inmunobiología de Janeway. Janeway et al. Ed. Mc Graw Hill 7ª ed. 2009.
Inmunología. Doan T, Melvold R, Viselli S, Waltenbaugh . Ed. Wolkers Kluwer. 2008.
Inmunología. Biología y patología del sistema inmunitario. Regueiro, López-Larrea. 4ª ed revisada. Ed. Panamericana 2011
Inmunología básica, funciones y transtornos del sistema inmunitario. Abul K abbas. cuarta edición 2014. Elsevier Saunders
Evaluation period
- E1 06/06/2023 11:30h