The science of pathology seeks to identify accurately the etiology of a disease and its development in the human body, which in turn leads to other studies focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the disease. A pathologist may be a medical doctor or hold a doctoral degree in a related field such as cell biology or microbiology. He or she may be employed in one of several different types of work, such as research, clinical, surgical, and forensic pathology....more
Principle and Practice of Human Pathology
Spring, 2003
This Open MIT full course provides a comprehensive overview of human pathology with emphasis on mechanisms of disease and modern diagnostic technologies. Topics include: general mechanisms of disease (inflammation, infection, immune injury, host response to foreign materials, transplantation, genetic disorders and neoplasia); pathology of lipids, enzymes, and molecular transporters; pathology of major organ systems; and review of diagnostic tools from invasive surgical pathology to non-invasive techniques such as optical spectroscopy, functional imaging, and molecular markers of disease. The objectives of this subject are achieved by a set of integrated lectures and laboratories, as well as a student-driven term project leading to a formal presentation on a medical, socioeconomic, or technological issue in human pathology.