We’ve all heard the term before being thrown by doctors and experts. They say that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a type of a retrovirus. All of us
understand the dangers of HIV and how they are transmitted but I’m sure that not everyone is familiar with what exactly a retrovirus is. So what is a retrovirus? A simple explanation is that a retrovirus is a type of RNA virus. Unlike other RNA viruses, it reproduces by transcribing itself into the cell’s DNA. Another
deadly illness that is caused by a retrovirus is leukemia.
The term retro in retroviruses refers to the reversal of DNA and RNA transcription. That transcription only occurs from DNA to RNA. Retroviruses transcribe genetic information from its RNA to DNA which is then inserted to the host cell. Once the DNA strand from the virus is synthesized into the host cell, a complementary viral DNA strand is produced. This reverse transcription lacks the customary proofreading if
DNA transcription. This causes the virus to mutate very often, thus making it immune to antiviral drugs fast which makes it hard to develop an effective vaccine for HIV.
No, herpes isn't as notorius for claiming hundreds of lives than the fatal AIDS virus. I bet most of us don't even know its symptoms, more so the fact that it's fatal! Studies show that there's a big difference between the mortality rates of untreated a
Tracked: Jul 14, 18:03
Genetic defects affecting the control of protein synthesis within cells can increase susceptibility to cancer and other human diseases, and defective protein production can occur in cells even when the genes controlling those proteins are normal. Doctor D
Tracked: Jul 29, 09:28
Researchers have described for the first time a web of inter-related responses that cells use to avoid becoming diseased or cancerous after being exposed to a powerful chemical mutagen. The study showed an elaborate system of gene control that is triggere
Tracked: Aug 05, 15:05