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Rice University

Fundamentals of Immunology, Part 1

Rice University via edX

This course may be unavailable.

Overview

When you're sick, you may wonder, "Why me?" But the real question should be, "Why am I not sick all the time?" You might even ask, "Why does my body respond with a fever, and is it really a good idea to lower it?" This course explores immunology, how the body defends itself from constant assault by parasites and pathogens. This course will present the fundamentals of both innate and adaptive immunity, emphasizing functional interactions among cells and organs. We will cover signaling, pathogen recognition and the division of labor among myeloid, lymphoid and supporting cells. The subject matter will also supply health professionals and biomedical researchers with the basic vocabulary and concepts necessary to understand both clinical press releases and primary literature. The course materials also provide support to other immunology instructors by presenting difficult concepts in creative ways using analogies and models.

Taught by

Alma Moon Novotny

Reviews

4.7 rating, based on 7 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Fundamentals of Immunology, Part 1

  • Anonymous
    I took this course in March/April of 2014 for its first run. Immunology is a complex field that requires learning an awful lot of terminology, most of it obscure and illogical (names were given when things were discovered, not afterwards when we und…
  • Anonymous
    Tough but fair, leading to a deep understanding of the innate and adaptive immune systems. (Part I concentrates on B cells and complement. Part II will highlight T cells.) Professor Novotny's models are excellent.
  • Anonymous
    Excellent but difficult. Requires prerequisite knowledge of biology and genetics, otherwise fundamentals must be learned and then try to master the course materials.
  • Anonymous
    A very interesting course, and a great teacher, with a lot of pedagogy. Pr Novotny is always creative when it comes to find a nice way to make things understandable.
  • Profile image for Edith Van Der Have-Raats
    Edith Van Der Have-Raats
    Great course by a great teacher! While having learnt some bits and pieces about this subject many years ago, I am extremely motivated now to really dive into it and to get the complete picture. Dr Novotny tells things in a well-structured, clear and…
  • Teresa Tse

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