Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Carleton College/Immunology (Winter)

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The immune system is complex and fascinating. The cells of our immune system encounter and destroy bacteria and viruses daily, most often without our even being aware of their presence. You may, however, be very aware of the power of the immune system if you happen to have hay fever or some other common allergy. We will begin the course by covering the basic components of the vertebrate immune system, and then move on to look at how cells interact with one another to produce an immune response. We will put it all together by looking at the role of the immune system in infectious disease, allergy and asthma, autoimmunity, transplantation, and vaccination. Knowledge of our immune system impacts societal issues, and each of you will complete a community-based engagement project that encompasses a topic related to immunology and public health. Effectively communicating scientific information for a public audience is an essential skill and each of you will become public scholars by making a contribution to Wikipedia.