John R. Hoffman is a Professor of Biology, public speaker and a scientist examining the recovery of the nervous system after injury. Since 2006 he has written several unpublished manuscripts and he is currently working on the first Nathaniel Smythe novel and short story collection. He spends his spare time with his family and running.

12. Immune System

Specific Objectives:

At the end of this lecture, the student will be able to:

  1. Describe the general structure of lymphoid tissue in terms of: type of connective tissue that makes up the stroma, types of cells and fibers that make up the stroma, types of cells suspended within the spaces of the stroma.
  2. What organ has a different composition of the stroma than the others? What is the difference?
  3. Compare the cellular and humoral immunity.
  4. Describe the thymus, including function, composition, structure, and histological characteristics.
  5. Compare and contrast the cortex and medulla of the thymus.
  6. Describe lymph nodes, including function, composition, structure, and histological characteristics.
  7. Describe the structure of the spleen.
  8. Compare the white and red pulp of the spleen in terms of function, predominant cell type, and structure.
  9. Make a schematic diagram of a lymph node, thymus, and spleen, making sure to identify all major structural and histological characteristics.

Lectures

Part 1

This lecture identifies the cells of the immune system and examines diffuse and unencapsulated lymphatic tissues.

Part 2

This lecture examines the encapsulated organs of the lymphatic (immune) system, including the lymph nodes, thymus, and spleen.

Laboratory

This video provides an overview of the important concepts to remember as studying histological images to learn about the immune system, including the lymph nodes, thymus, and spleen.

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