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Created by:

Open University UK OpenCoursa

Last updated:

April 8, 2022

Duration:

6 months

$4
PKR: ₨1,143
EUR: €4
GBP: £3
INR: ₹330
BDT: ৳ 429
IRR: ﷼168,000

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TAKE THIS COURSE

This course includes:

6 months

Badge on Completion

Certificate of completion

6 months

Description

In this course, Infection, and immunity, you will be introduced to infectious diseases and to the biological agents that invade our bodies and cause them: pathogens. You will also learn about the immune system, the human body’s vital defense against pathogens.

Along the way, you will learn about the scientific method and how it has helped scientists understand pathogens and aid the prevention of infectious disease. But the challenge is ongoing. Pathogens are everywhere and come in all shapes and sizes. As you will see, the fight against infectious disease remains critical for global health today. There are engaging videos and exciting animations to help you understand some more challenging concepts. The course is split into four sessions to help you structure your learning. Each session ends with a quiz so you can assess how well you're doing. When you complete the course you'll receive a free statement of participation to help you to share your achievement.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

Distinguish between symptoms and signs of infectious disease and illustrate how they are combined in making a diagnosis
Summarise the main direct and indirect transmission routes by which pathogens pass from person-to-person, from other animals, or from the environment to humans
Appreciate the usefulness of combining systematic observations and measurements with testable hypotheses (the scientific method) in understanding infectious disease
Distinguish between the six main types of pathogen multicellular parasites, single-celled protists, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and prions
Summarise the main features of human defenses against infection.

Course Curriculum

Session 1: Introducing human infectious diseases
- Introduction 00:20:00
- What causes infectious diseases? 00:10:00
- Symptoms and signs of infection 00:20:00
- Acute or chronic conditions 00:20:00
- Direct person-to-person transmission of pathogens 00:10:00
- Indirect person-to-person transmission of pathogens 00:20:00
- Animal-to-human transmission of pathogens 00:30:00
- The end of infectious diseases? 00:10:00
- Emerging infectious diseases 00:10:00
Session 2: Scientific lessons from the history of infectious diseases
- Introduction 00:50:00
- Origins of the scientific method 00:30:00
- Infant deaths in 19th-century England 00:50:00
- Waterborne infection in 19th-century England 00:50:00
- John Snow, cholera and the Broad Street pump 00:10:00
- John Snow’s experiment 00:30:00
- Edward Jenner, smallpox and vaccination 00:05:00
- Edward Jenner’s experiment 00:10:00
- Edward Jenner and the scientific method 00:20:00
Session 3: Pathogens and human infectious disease
- Introduction 00:10:00
- How many pathogens cause human disease? 00:10:00
- Cells and their relationship to pathogens 00:10:00
- Organisms and their scientific names 00:05:00
- Introducing parasites and protists 00:10:00
- Ectoparasites and endoparasites 01:00:00
- Malaria and other protist diseases 00:20:00
- Fungal pathogens 00:10:00
- Bacterial pathogens 00:40:00
- Viral pathogens 00:20:00
- Prions 00:05:00
Session 4: Immune defences against infectious diseases
- Introduction 00:10:00
- Natural barriers against pathogens 00:10:00
- The immune response to infection 00:05:00
- Leukocytes: the cells of the immune system 00:10:00
- Innate immunity 00:10:00
- Adaptive immunity 00:20:00
- Counting leukocytes in blood samples 00:30:00
- Chickenpox: adaptive immunity in action 00:05:00
- Antigens and the specific recognition of pathogens 00:10:00
- Antibodies and B cells 00:10:00
- T cells in adaptive immunity 00:10:00
- Vaccination 00:20:00
- Opposition to vaccination 00:20:00
Section 5
- Conclusion 00:10:00

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