C - 7 - HIV and Viruses

Question 1

What is HIV?

Answer 1

A virus that affects the human immune system. It eventually leads to AIDS

Question 2

What is AIDS?

Answer 2

A condition caused by HIV, in which the immune system deteriorates and eventually fails

Question 3

How does HIV work?

Answer 3

HIV infects and kills helper T cells which act as host cells for the virus. Without enough helper T cells, the immune system is unable to mount an effective response to infections because other innumerable system cells don’t behave how they should. People infected with HIV develop AIDS when the helper T cell numbers in their body reach a critically low level

Question 4

What happens during the initial infection of HIV?

Answer 4

HIV replicates rapidly and the infected person may experience flu like symptoms.

Question 5

What is the latency period?

Answer 5

HIV drops to a lower level. The infected person won’t experience any symptoms

Question 6

What are the symptoms of AIDS?

Answer 6

• Minor infections of mucous membranes
• Recurring respiratory infections
• Become susceptible to more serious infections including chronic diarrhoea severe bacterial infections and tuberculosis

Question 7

Describe the structure of HIV

Answer 7

• Has a core of reverse transcriptase
• Capsid (outer coating of protein)
• Envelope
• Attachment protein
• RNA