There will be 12 laboratory sessions in the course, each lasting approximately 2 hours.
| LAB # | LEARNING OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
| Lab 1: Cells and Tissues - Part I | To develop a basic understanding of cells and major subcellular structures. To be able to identify major subcellular structures on an electron micrograph. To become familiar with the appearance of cell on "routine" light microscopy. |
| Lab 2: Cells and Tissues - Part II | To examine the structure and function of representative epithelial tissues. To examine common patterns of epithelial injury and disease. |
| Lab 3: Infection and Immunity | Infectious diseases are extremely common causes of morbidity and mortality in "normal" individuals, and an even more important clinical problem in immunocompromised hosts, including organ transplant recipients. Through a set of small clinical vignettes in the setting of organ transplantation, this lab will introduce you to the histopathology of some common infectious diseases. |
| Lab 4: Transplantation and Biomaterials | |
| Lab 5: The Heart | The heart is a duplex pump that in an average adult delivers ~4 liters/min of venous blood to the lungs (the right heart) and an equal amount of oxygenated blood to the systemic circulation (the left heart). Although detailed study of the heart is beyond the scope of this course, a basic understanding of cardiac anatomy and function is essential for understanding the patterns and consequences of major cardiac diseases. |
| Lab 6: Kidneys and Blood Vessels | Kidneys are structurally complex organs that are designed to (1) excrete metabolic waste, (2) regulate body salt and water content, (3) regulate pH, and (4) secrete hormones and other regulatory substances. Diseases of the kidney are as complex as its structure. In this lab, however, we will focus only on the classical abnormalities of the glomeruli. By the end of this lab, you are expected to be able to identify the normal glomerulus and its structural components, and develop a basic understanding of the patterns of glomerular damage in classical diseases of the glomerulus. |
| Lab 7: Lungs and Liver | The goal of these labs is to highlight the major patterns of disease in the liver. |
| Lab 8: The Gastrointestinal Tract | The goal of these labs is to highlight the major patterns of disease in the GI tract. |
| Lab 9: Red and White Blood Cells | The bone marrow is the site of production of the cellular blood elements, any many pathological processes that affect the blood or the reticuloendothelial system have morphological manifestations in the bone marrow. The goal of this lab is to introduce you to the basic morphology of the bone marrow, and to highlight a basic approach for identification of bone marrow abnormalities. |
| Lab 10: The Nervous System | In spite of the enormous complexity of the CNS, some of the most common abnormalities of the brain can be understood with simple clinicopathological correlation. The goal of this lab is to build on the material presented in lectures to demonstrate the pathology of some common CNS disorders. For this purpose, you will only need a basic understanding of the morphology of the cell types that constitute the brain. |
| Lab 11: The Clinical Laboratories | Site visit to the clinical laboratories, including hematology, microbiology, chemistry and anatomic pathology labs. |
| Lab 12: Autopsy Conference | An autopsy conference in which 2-3 recent autopsies are presented and discussed in one or more of the participating hospitals. |