immune deficiency diseases

Question 1

define: immune deficiency disease

Answer 1

malfunction on one or more components of the immune system; can be inherited/developed due to anothwe disease

Question 2

describe how human immunodeficiency virus is structured

Answer 2

retrovirus (contains RNA - in this case 2 single stranded fragments)

Question 3

how does HIV enter cells and do its thing

Answer 3

glycoproteins bind to CD4 receptors on helper t cells, RNA replicates (reverse transcriptase turns RNA to DNA which embeds itself into cell genes, producing viral proteins needed to make new viruses)

Question 4

why to helper t cell count divide

Answer 4

virus changes antigens and recognised by cytotoxic t cells as being non self so is attacked

Question 5

effect of low helper t cell count

Answer 5

helper t cells are needed ot stimulate b cells and cytotoxic t cells, so less immunity = opportunistic disease more likely

Question 6

how is HIV controlled

Answer 6

drugs to prevent action of reverse transcriptase