Instructor: Wayne Forbes

Objectives: A lecture and laboratory course for medical technology majors which emphasizes the protozoans and metazoa of medical importance. The overall goal for the course is to make students become aware of various aspects of medically important parasites, including their morphology, modes of transmission, mechanisms of host entry and infection, niche selection, life cycles, pathogenesis (associated diseases), diagnosis, treatment and control of infections. One section of this course is offered during the spring semester.

Prerequisites: Medical Microbiology (Biol 210)

Credit Value: 1

Contact Time: Two 50 minute lectures and one 3 hour laboratory each week for five weeks.

Outcomes: Upon the successful completion of this course the student will be acquainted with:

• some of the major characteristics, structure and host requirements of selected parasitic protozoa, helminths such as flatworms, round worms, and leeches, and parasitic arthropods
• the significance of parasitism in human development, particularly in underdeveloped countries
• the identification of the more important human parasites, as well as different stages within the life cycle of a parasite, parasite morphology, modes of transmission, mechanisms of host entry and infection, niche selection, pathogenesis (associated diseases), diagnosis, treatment and control of infections
• the various degrees of parasitism other animals exhibit with humans and their significance
• be familiar with selected the classification of major groups of parasitic organisms
• understand the jargon and major concepts frequently encountered in the study of parasitology

Assessment: The final course grade will be calculated from quiz scores, assignments, and a final exam.

Lecture Schedule:

• Introduction and overview of parasite classification
• Nematoda - intestinal and tissue Roundworms and Zoonoses
• Platyhelminthes: Cestodes
• Platyhelminthes: Trematodes (flukes)
• Protozoa: Amoebae
• Protozoa: Flagellates
• Protozoa: Sporozoans

• Arthropoda

Laboratory Schedule:

• Nematoda
• Platyhelminthes
• Protozoa
• Arthropoda