Introduction to medical laboratory work with specific reference to the role, ethics, conduct, certification, education, employment, and fundamental knowledge and skills related to medical laboratory personnel. Basic mathematics review and lab related math such as the metric system, temperature conversions, concentration units, dilutions, ratios and statistics used in quality control are covered. Included in this course is laboratory safety to include physical, chemical and biological hazards, laboratory safety, barriers and isolation techniques. Students are instructed in the collection and preparation of specimens to include venipunctures and capillary sticks, reporting of laboratory results, and quality assurance methods.
 

Laboratory activities related to lecture material covered in ML 101.
 

Basic design of advanced laboratory automation equipment. Course material include laboratory glassware, balances and scales, pipetting, spectrophotometry, turbidmetry, nephelometry, ion selective electrodes, electrophoresis, chromatography, and advanced quality assurance.
 

Theory and practical application of coagulation tests including capillary fragility, clotting time, bleeding times, prothrombin times, partial thromboplastin times, and fibrinogen assays.
 

Anatomy, physiology and related pathology of the circulatory system with specific reference to the formation, function and identification of blood cells. Major emphasis is on the related theory and performance of hematological procedures such as sample identification, collection and preparation; manual and automated leukocyte and erythrocyte counts; hemoglobin and hematocrit measurements; WBC differential; leukocyte and erythrocyte morphology; RBC indices; erythrocyte sedimentation rate; platelet count; reticulocyte count; and eosinophil count. An introduction to cell counts of other body fluids such as spinal fluid, transudates and exudates is covered. Automated hematological equipment is included. Specific methodologies in common use in medical laboratories and quality control standards are followed.
 

Meanings of root words, prefixes, and suffixes will be studied. Students will gain proficiency in analyzing medical words and have an understanding of how the elements relate and apply to medicine.
 

Anatomy, physiology, and related to pathology of the urinary system. Major emphasis is on the related theory and performance of physical, chemical and microscopic analysis of urine as well as collection, preservation, and proper reporting of analysis. Certain renal function tests and occult blood are covered. Emphasis is placed on anatomy, physiology and related pathology of body fluids to include feces, semen, seminal fluid, synovial fluid, serous fluid, spinal fluid, and the collection, preparation, preservation, and analysis of those fluids.
 

General and biological chemistry with applications specific to the medical laboratory. The student will become familiar with chemical terminology, the atomic structure, ionic and molecular compounds, organic chemistry, and acid and base balance. The biochemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes and hormones are presented and their relationship to the medical laboratory is studied.
**Prerequisite: A grade of C or higher in this course is required before enrolling in ML 230.
 

Basic genetics, immunology and serology. The student will acquire an understanding of the immune system including antigen/antibody reactions, origin, stimulation, body response and rejection. A study of the immunoglobulins, complement and classifications of immunity, precipitation and agglutination reactions is included. Serological tests include the related theory and performance of procedures to include hepatitis, rubella, and Epstein-Barr virus, AIDS, CRP, RA, FANA, cold agglutinins, pregnancy, streptococcal diseases and autoimmune diseases. Immunoassay principles and practical applications are covered.
**Prerequisite: A grade of C or higher in this course is required before enrolling in ML 272.
 

Hematology which includes hemoglobin, hematocrit, leukocyte count; WBC differential; sed rate; erythrocyte count; platelet count; reticulocyte count; eosinophil count; clotting time; bleeding time; prothrombin time; activated partial thromboplastin time; preparation of bone marrow smears. Experience is gained through obtaining blood samples to include venipuncture, capillary puncture, and arterial blood gases. Additional hematological procedures may be performed at the option of the affiliated laboratory. This course is included in the clinical practicum semester.
 

Urinalysis which includes physical and chemical tests; microscopic identification of formed elements; collection and preparation of 24-hour samples for quantitative tests; pregnancy tests; renal function tests of urine, feces and spinal fluid, and other body fluids. Additional urinalysis procedures may be performed at the option of the affiliated laboratory. This course is included in the clinical practicum semester
 

Basic clinical chemistry and diagnostic analysis. Included are analytical chemical procedures such as identification, collection, handling, standardization and quality control, carbohydrate tests, renal function tests, proteins including electrophoresis, electrolytes, enzymes, liver function tests, therapeutic drug monitoring, endocrinology, and toxicology. Automated instrumentation is emphasized.
 

Clinical chemistry which includes specimen procurement, quantitative measurement, and clinical significance of glucose, urea, nitrogen, proteins, triglycerides, cardiac markers, toxicology, therapeutic drug monitoring, bilirubin, cholesterol, electrolytes, enzymes, creatinine, uric acid, calcium, phosphorous, thyroid function test, iron, TIBC, pH and blood gases. Additional chemical procedures may be performed at the option of the affiliated laboratory. This course is included in the clinical practicum semester.
 

Classification, identification and pathology of disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, fungus, yeasts, viruses, rickettsiae and parasites. Major emphasis is on the related theory and performance of microbiological procedures such as sterilization, collection and preparation of specimens, culturing methods, media preparation, staining techniques, antibiotic sensitivity testing and identification of commonly cultured bacteria.
 

Microbiology includes collecting, setting up, plating, incubating, transporting and transferring microbiological cultures; identification of organisms involving common techniques such as gram stain, special stains, biochemical tests, coagulase and catalase tests and antibiotic susceptibility tests. Serological procedures might include RPR, streptococcus antigens and antibodies, infectious mono tests, RA, pregnancy, HIV, hepatitis, FANA, RSO, influenza A and B, and C-RP tests. Preparation of samples for parasitology, mycology, and virology study are included at the option of the affiliated laboratory. This course is included in the clinical practicum semester.
 

Basic immunohematological aspects of blood factors and their relationship to blood transfusion and disease states. Topics include the history, identification, inheritance of blood factors and antigen-antibody relationships involving detection of blood factors. Major emphasis is on the related theory and performance of immunohematological procedures such as ABO grouping, Rh typing, identification of blood factors, direct coombs, antibody screening and identification, compatibility testing, transfusion of blood and blood components, selection, collection, storage of donor blood and quality assurance.
 

Immunohematology: which includes blood banking, ABO grouping, Rh typing, direct and indirect coombs testing, antibody screening and compatibility testing. Selection of blood donors, collection of blood for transfusion, storage of blood and blood components and quality control are included. Additional blood banking procedures may be included at the option of the affiliated medical laboratory. This course is included in the clinical practicum semester.