Over 1,200 total pages .... Parasitic infection can greatly interfere with a soldier's ability to complete his mission. The presence of parasites in a soldier's system can not only interfere with his ability to function, but also can make him susceptible to certain diseases. Since soldiers may serve in most areas of the world, you must be able to identify parasites that are found in the various parts of the globe. In your job as a medical laboratory specialist, you will perform a variety of test procedures on samples taken from humans. Some of these samples will include feces and tissue scrapings used in the diagnosis and treatment of parasitic infection. Therefore, you must be knowledgeable in several areas of parasitology. The knowledge you will need is reflected in the two subcourses you are about to study. Subcourses Parasitology I and Parasitology II address areas of particular importance in parasitology. The whole purpose of clinical laboratory procedures is to provide the clinician doing diagnostic work with specific information needed to round out his picture of the disorders he has observed in the patient. Clinical bacteriology can contribute its part by supplying data about the microscopic life involved and the susceptibility of such life to particular drugs. To identify bacterial growth, you must take certain steps that will enable you, through a process of elimination, to choose the microscopic form that fits the findings you have obtained. Steps that are often essential include: 1. Observing the type of growth when first isolated on culture media. 2 Making a microscopic examination on stained material from an isolated culture of that colony. 3. Performing various tests to obtain a list of the characteristics of the organism. 4. Making a complete identification of the organism. This subcourse was developed to prepare and sustain your mathematical skills as a Medical Laboratory Specialist. The emphasis is upon computations related to solutions and their concentrations. If you feel that you need a more basic review of mathematics before taking this subcourse, you should request Subcourse Basic Mathematics, which covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers; decimals, and fractions; and conversions to and from the metric system. In the process of achieving and maintaining proficiency in your military occupational specialty (MOS), you will be learning concepts and performing tasks that are based on important chemical principles. As you become more proficient with these principles, you may reach the point where you will not need to give them much conscious thought. Meanwhile, however, you should study this subcourse to gain a working knowledge of the fundamental principles of chemistry. Subcourse Clinical Chemistry I, provides you with a background in the laboratory basics of clinical chemistry. Laboratory safety; collection, preservation, and shipment of specimens; measurement of weights and volumes; introduction to quality control; and introduction to organic chemistry are presented in this subcourse.