Lab Exam (Lecture) Flashcards
What odes HIV stand for?
human immunodeficiency virus
What type of virus is HIV?
a retrovirus
What are the characteristics of a retrovirus?
- the genetic material is ssRNA
- uses reverse transcriptase to transcribe RNA into DNA
- integrates retro-transcribed DNA into genome
- enveloped virus (membrane fusion and budding)
- cannot replicate on its own
What protein binds to the CD4 receptor on immune cells?
Gp120 spike protein (HIV) binds to the CD4 receptor (immune cells) to induce association with antigen
What happens to HIV after infection is left untreated?
HIV develops into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Which non-viral molecule does the CD4 receptor bind to?
CD4 binds to the MHC II complex
What are cells that express the CD4 marker?
- CD4+ T helper cells
- Macrophages
- Dendritic cells
How are CD4+ cells detected?
via the MHC II molecule
What type of bodily fluids transmit HIV?
- blood
- semen and pre-seminal fluid
- rectal fluids
- vaginal fluids
- breast milk
What is antiretroviral therapy (ART)?
cocktail therapy that reduces infected individuals’ viral load
What is the function of antiretroviral therapy (ART)?
- lowers risk of transmission
- helps individuals w/ HIV live longer and healthier
What is viral load?
refers to the amount of virus in a specific volume of body fluid
What does ART target?
- reverse transcriptase
- integrase
- protease
What is the function of reverse transcriptase?
synthesizes a cDNA from viral RNA
What is the function of integrase?
inserts viral DNA into the host cell’s DNA
What is the function of protease?
cleaving proteins into functional forms of the viral antigen
Why are multiple targets used in ART?
to maximize prevention from infection
What is Pre-Exposure Prohylaxis (PrEP)?
preventative measure taken by people who are at risk for contracting HIV
What is the mechanism of PrEP?
contains two reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Define vaccination:
introducing an antigen into an organism to produce an adaptive immune response
Define immunization:
vaccination confers protection from a disease without exposure to “real” pathogen by activating the adaptive immune response
What are two types of cells that involve immunological memory?
memory B and T cells
Define immunological memory:
the ablity of the immune system to respond more rapidly and effectively to pathogens that have been encountered previously, and reflexts the preexistence of a clonally expanded population of antigen-specific lymphocytes
What does ELISA stand for?
Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbant Assat (ELISA)
