Laboratory Worksheet.

General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Lab Activity 14
The Immune System 60 to 90 minutes

Let’s Review
In this unit, you have learned about the innate and adaptive immune system. You have
also learned about the different components of the immune system and the body’s
different responses to pathogens.

Epithelial surfaces are the body’s first line of defense against pathogens. If these are
breached, then the innate immune system acts to combat these pathogens while the
adaptive immune system mounts a long-term response to prevent diseases.

The main cells of the immune system are the leukocytes or white blood cells. There are
several types of white blood cells and these all develop from stem cells through the
process of hematopoiesis. The different types of white blood cells have different roles and
functions in the immune system. Some of these include macrophages for phagocytosis, B
cells for releasing antibodies, and T cells that perform numerous functions for both
antibody-mediated immunity and cell-mediated immunity.

Objectives
At the end of this laboratory activity, the students should be able to do the following:
● Identify the different components of the immune system.
● Explain the mechanisms involved in the immune system.
● Determine the relationship between diseases and the immune system.

Material
● laptop or desktop computer connected to the Internet (must be compatible with the
Macromedia Flash player)

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Laboratory Worksheet.
General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Procedure
Part 1:
1. Access the link below.

Virtual Blood Typing

McGraw-Hill Glencoe Virtual Lab: https://bit.ly/2BNnrte, last
accessed on June 20, 2020.

Reminder
Some tablets are not compatible with the Macromedia Flash player. Use a
laptop or a desktop computer to ensure compatibility.

2. This activity will have you virtually determine the blood type of three different
patients.
3. Read the poster on the upper part of the page to help you determine blood type.
4. The lower part of the page is the virtual lab. Click on the blood samples and the
respective antisera in order to determine blood type.
5. Take note of the coagulation of the blood on the slides to help you determine them.
Once identified, drag the blood type label to the portion of the test tube with cover.
Select the check button.
6. Write the correct blood type of each patient in Table 14.1.
7. Once done, proceed to the next activity.

Part 2:
8. Access the link below.

The Virtual Immunology Lab

Howard Hughes Medical Institute:
https://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/immunology/index.
html, last accessed on June 20, 2020.

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

9. This activity will guide you through the process of ELISA in order to determine
whether the patients that you are checking have a certain disease or not.
10. Read the descriptions on the right side. Click on the laboratory image on the left to
begin the activity.
11. You will be given a series of steps and instructions that will guide you through the
ELISA process.
12. When you finish all the steps, you will be asked to determine which among the
patients have the disease.
13. Write your answers in Table 14.2.
14. Answer the guide questions afterward.

Data and Results

Table 14.1. Blood Types for Part 1

Patient Blood Type

Table 14.2. Patient Status for Part 2

Patient ELISA Result

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Laboratory Worksheet.
General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Guide Questions
Answer the following questions.

1. Why is it important to determine a person’s blood type before transfusion?

2. What causes the reaction seen in the blood for the blood typing activity?

3. How does the presence of antibodies indicate a positive result in an ELISA test?

4. What are the real-world applications of ELISA?

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Laboratory Worksheet.
General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Conclusion

Bibliography
Russell, Peter J. Biology: The Dynamic Science. Student Ed. Belmont, CA:
Thomson/Brooks/Cole, 2008.

Starr, Cecie, Ralph Taggart, Christine A. Evers, and Lisa Starr. Biology: the Unity and Diversity
of Life. Boston, MA: Cengage, 2019.

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Laboratory Worksheet.
General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Lab Activity 14
The Immune System

Data and Results

Table 14.1. Blood Types for Part 1

Patient Blood Type

1 A

2 O

3 AB

Table 14.2. Patient Status for Part 2

Patient ELISA Result

A Patient A most likely has the disease.

B Patient B may have the disease but may also

need further testing.

C Patient C most likely does not have the

disease.

Answer Key

Guide Questions:

1. Why is it important to determine a person’s blood type before transfusion?

This is to ensure that the blood types are compatible and that no agglutination will
occur. Transfusing the wrong blood type can be dangerous if agglutination occurs.

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General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

2. What causes the reaction seen in the blood for the blood typing activity?

Antibodies in the blood react with the antigens that are added for testing. This
causes agglutination.

3. How does the presence of antibodies indicate a positive result in an ELISA test?

If antibodies are present in the sample from a patient, then this means that the
patient was already exposed to the antigen from a disease. This can then be
detected in an ELISA test.

4. What are the real-world applications of ELISA?

ELISA can be used for diagnosing diseases and quantifying the number of
substances in the blood.

Process Skills Rubric

Please rate your students from 0 to 5 where 0 is “not observed.” Not all descriptors are
necessary for the process skills to be scored.

Category 0 1 2 3 4 5

Critical Thinking

Analysis Evaluates or ranks Evaluates or ranks Effectively evaluates

Analyzing relevant information information with or ranks information
info to form an incorrectly in terms some errors in terms in terms of the
argument or reach a of the usefulness of the usefulness usefulness
conclusion supported (importance) in (importance) in (importance) in
with evidence supporting the supporting the supporting the
conclusion conclusion. conclusion

Synthesis Minimally Partially synthesizes Effectively

Synthesizing relevant synthesizes and and examines synthesizes and
info to form an examines different different types of examines different
argument or reach a types of information information to create types of information

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General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

conclusion supported to create a new a new understanding to create a new

with evidence understanding of of the project understanding of the
the project outcome outcome project outcome

Argument Constructs weak Constructs Constructs effective

Forming an argument arguments: makes arguments: makes arguments: makes
to reach a conclusion claims and provides claims and provides claims and provides
supported with minimal or incomplete but complete and
evidence irrelevant evidence relevant evidence to relevant evidence to
to support them support them support them

Critique Provides a weak Provides some Provides a

Evaluating relevant analysis to minimally analysis to minimally compelling analysis
info to form an compare or critique compare or critique to minimally compare
argument or reach a results or arguments results or arguments or critique results or
conclusion supported arguments
with evidence

Information Processing

Evaluating Minimally evaluates, Partially evaluates Effectively evaluates

Evaluating or simply recognizes, information for information for
information information for relevance or relevance or
relevance or importance to the task importance to the
importance to the task
task

Interpreting Inaccurately Interprets information Correctly interprets

Interpreting interprets with some errors information
information information

Transforming Minimally Partially manipulates Effectively

Transforming or manipulates or or transforms manipulates or
manipulating transforms information from one transforms
information information from form to another information from one
one form to another form to another

Oral Communication

Speaking Expresses Expresses partly Expresses complete

Exchanging incomplete thoughts complete thoughts thoughts about
information through about concepts with about concepts with concepts with
speaking irrelevant or somewhat relevant relevant and
ineffective language and effective effective language
language

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General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Listening Minimally listens to Partially listens to Effectively listens to

Exchanging group members as group members as all group members as
information through they explain their they explain their they explain their
listening ideas with frequent ideas with some ideas with minimal
interruption interruption interruption

Nonverbal Cues Minimally shows Partially shows Clearly shows

Exchanging exchange through exchange through exchange through
information through nonverbal cues nonverbal cues nonverbal cues
nonverbal behaviors (turning toward each (turning toward each (turning toward each
other, nodding, other, nodding, other, nodding,
gesturing) when gesturing) when gesturing) when
others speak others speak others speak

Response Minimally promotes Partially promotes Effectively promotes

Understanding exchange of exchange of exchange of
exchange of information by information by information by
information responding to others’ responding to others’ responding to others’
ideas, explaining, and ideas, explaining, and ideas, explaining, and
checking for checking for checking for
understanding understanding understanding

Management

Planning Inadequately plans Partially plans a Effectively plans a

Planning one’s own a course of action by course of action by course of action by
and others’ efforts to describing or describing or referring describing or
accomplish a goal referring to a few of to a few of the steps referring to a few of
the steps required to required to the steps required to
accomplish the goal accomplish the goal accomplish the goal

Organizing Minimally organizes Partially organizes Effectively organizes

Organizing one’s own tasks, time, and tasks, time, and tasks, time, and
and others’ efforts to resources with resources with respect resources with
accomplish a goal respect to the goal to the goal respect to the goal

Directing Minimally directs Sometimes directs Routinely directs

Directing one’s own tasks to group tasks to group tasks to group
and others’ efforts to members members members
accomplish a goal

Coordinating Ineffectively Sometimes Effectively

Coordinating one’s coordinates a coordinates a coordinates a
own and others’ collective interaction collective interaction collective interaction
efforts to accomplish among few group among some group among all group
a goal members, including members, including members, including
monitoring monitoring monitoring
performance, to performance, to performance, to
accomplish the goal accomplish the goal accomplish the goal

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General Biology 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Problem-Solving

Analysis Minimally analyzes Partially analyzes the Effectively analyzes

Identifying a strategy the problem and problem and identifies the problem and
that goes beyond identifies a few some pieces of key identifies all key
routine action to find pieces of key information and information and
a solution to a information and variables needed to variables needed to
situation or question variables needed to solve it solve it
solve it

Strategy Arrives at a strategy Arrives at a strategy Arrives at a strategy

Planning a strategy that is not that is functional but that is functional
that goes beyond functional not optimal and optimal
routine action to find
a solution to a
situation or question

Execution Has serious flaws in Has minor flaws in Implements the

Executing a strategy implementing the implementing the strategy effectively
that goes beyond strategy strategy
routine action to find
a solution to a
situation or question

Solution Addresses a few Addresses most parts Addresses all parts of

Finding a solution to parts of the problem of the problem and the problem and
a situation or and/or reaches a reaches a reasonable reaches a reasonable
question conclusion that is conclusion conclusion
not reasonable

Teamwork

Interaction Engages in Engages in sporadic Engages in

Interacting with infrequent interactions or continuous
others interactions or communication with interactions or
communication with all group members communication with
group members group members

Contribution Considers the Considers the Considers the

Building on one contributions, contributions, contributions,
another’s individual strengths, and skills strengths, and skills of strengths, and skills of
strengths and skills of few group most group members all group members
members

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Progress Makes little progress Makes moderate Makes steady

Making progress toward a common progress toward a progress toward a
toward a goal goal, rarely on track common goal, mostly common goal,
on track completely on track

Cohesiveness Minimally unites Partially unites and Effectively unites and

Working toward a and functions as a functions as a functions as a
common goal cohesive unit cohesive unit cohesive unit

Adapted from Gil Reynders, Erica Suh, Renée S. Cole, and Rebecca L. Sansom, "Developing
Student Process Skills in a General Chemistry Laboratory," Journal of Chemical Education 96,
no. 10 (2019): 2109-2119, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00441. Copyright 2019 by
the American Chemical Society.

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