Life Cycle of HIV and Immune Response

Flashcards covering the life cycle of HIV, immune responses, and pathogenic concepts.

Binding (attachment)

HIV binds to receptors on the surface of CD4 cells.

Fusion

The process by which the HIV envelope and the CD4 cell membrane fuse, allowing HIV to enter the CD4 cell.

Reverse transcription

The conversion of RNA to DNA by reverse transcriptase inside a CD4 cell, allowing HIV to integrate with the cell's genetic material.

Integration

The insertion of HIV viral DNA into the DNA of the CD4 cell by integrase.

Replication

The process where HIV uses the CD4 cell's machinery to produce long chains of HIV proteins.

Superantigens

Toxins that provoke intense immune response and lead to the release of large amounts of cytokines.

Vasodilation

The widening of blood vessels that increases blood flow and permeability during inflammation.

Phagocytosis

The process by which immune cells engulf and digest pathogens.

Innate immune cells

Cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and eosinophils that provide the first line of defense against pathogens.

Eosinophil

A type of innate immune cell that targets parasites and releases peroxide ions to destroy them.

Lactoferrin

A protein found in mucosal secretions and breastmilk that sequesters iron and limits its availability to microbes.

Siderophores

Molecules that bind iron more efficiently than host cells, allowing pathogens to steal iron from the host.

Pathology

The scientific study of disease.

Etiology

The cause of a disease.

Pathogenesis

The development of a disease and how it affects the body.

Infection

The invasion or colonization of the body by pathogenic microorganisms.

Virulence

The degree of pathogenicity; the severity of a disease.

Zoonotic disease

A disease that has jumped from a non-human animal to humans.

Herd immunity

A point at which a disease has difficulty spreading through a population because a significant percentage is immune.

Incidence

The number of new cases of an infection within a specified period.

Prevalence

The percentage of total cases of infected individuals within a particular population.

Sepsis

A toxic inflammatory condition that occurs when microbes spread beyond their focus of infection.

Pathogenicity

The ability of a microbe to cause disease.