ELISA test and HIV Flashcards
What does ELISA stand for?
Enzyme linked immunosorbant asssay
What does the ELISA Test, test for?
Detects the presence and quantity of a proteins
Describe the steps for the ELISA Test
Apply sample to a slide or similar surface to which the antigens attach
Wash several times to remove unattached antigens
Add the antibodies specific to the antigen which binds
Wash surface to remove excess antibody
Add a second antibody that binds to the first which I bound to an enzyme
Wash to remove excess antibody
Add colourless substrate of the Enzyme. Enzyme acts to create a coloured product
Amount of antigen is relative to the intensity of colour
What does HIV stand for?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Name the parts of the HIV
Lipid envelope attachment proteins capsid Rna matrix reverse transcriptase
Can HIV replicate?
It cannot replicate itself instead it uses the host genetic biochemical mechanism to produce components required for HIV
How does HIV replicate inside the host cells?
HIV enters blood steam and attachment proteins bind to CD4 protein usually on T-helper cells
Proteins capsid fuses with cell surface membrane and RNA and Enzyme enter the cell
Reverse transcriptase turns the HIV RNA into DNA. The newly made DNA is inserted into T-Cell nucleus DNA
HIV DNA makes messenger RNA which contains instructions for protein synthesis to make HIV
MRNA passes out of nucleus through nuclear pore
What cells does HIV target and why?
Helper T-cells by killing or interfering with their normal function.
The lack of Helper T-cells means memory cells can be infected and destroyed and no Killer T cells or B-cells can be stimulated to produce antibodies.
HIV does not kill directly instead it _______
prevents the immune system from functioning properly
How do antibiotics work and why don’t they work on viruses?
Antibiotics prevent bacteria from making normal cell walls
water would cause cells to best by murein wall in bac. prevents this.
Antibiotic inhibit enzyme required to synthesis the assemble peptide cross-linkages so cell burst and bac. dies
Virus have a protein coat not murein wall and are within hosts own cells so antibiotics can’t reach them