Biology (BIOL) 480

Overview

Biology 480 is a three-credit, university-level course that covers the principle concepts of immunology. The course discusses the components of the immune system and presents the immune mechanisms critical to immune function. It also covers the immune response to infection and the diseases that result when immunity is compromised or non-functional. It introduces current methods of studying immunity and the clinical applications in the field.

Students who enrol in Biology 480 must have completed first-year courses in biology and chemistry at the university level. The following courses, which are offered at Athabasca University, or their equivalents from another institution, serve as prerequisites for Immunology:

Biology 204: Principles of Biology I
Biology 205: Principles of Biology II
Chemistry 217: Chemical Principles I
Chemistry 218: Chemical Principles II

According to the regulations specified in the Athabasca University Calendar, students who wish to be exempted from these prerequisites must have the approval of the course professor.

Outline

Biology 480 is broken down into 12 units as follows:

• Unit 1 Overview of the Immune System
• Unit 2 Innate Immunity
• Unit 3 Antigens and Antibodies
• Unit 4 The Complement System
• Unit 5 The Major Histocompatibility Complex and Antigen Presentation
• Unit 6 The T cell Receptor
• Unit 7 B cell and T cell Activation
• Unit 8 Immune Effector Mechanisms
• Unit 9 Tolerance and Autoimmunity
• Unit 10 The Immune Response to Infectious Diseases
• Unit 11 Vaccines
• Unit 12 The Immune System in Health and Disease

Evaluation

To receive credit for BIOL 480, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent), and grade of at least 50 percent on each of the course assignments, the mid-term, the final examination and the lab component. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

The midterm and final examinations for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

There is a CD-Rom that accompanies the textbook.

Other Materials

The online lab component materials will be accessed online through the course website.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the BIOL 480 challenge registration, you must...

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form