Questions 1-5 _ Answered by Maryam Rahman
1. Can HIV attach itself to a muscle cell or a skin cell?
No, HIV cannot attach itself to a muscle cell or a skin cell. This is because only those cells
which have a CD4 receptor on their surface can be attacked by HIV. Muscle or skin cells do not
have a CD4 receptor. This is why HIV cannot attach itself to a skin cell. Without attachment,
there cannot be infection.
2. Explain why you cannot get AIDS by shaking hands. (Use the information that you have gained
about binding sites.)
HIV can only enter a person’s body through certain bodily fluids. You cannot get AIDS by shaking
hands. This is because your skin acts like a protective shield. Moreover, your skin does not have a
CD4 receptor. Without a CD4 receptor, you cannot get AIDS. HIV needs to come in contact with a
cell which has a receptor. This does not happen when you shake hands. This is why you cannot get
AIDS by shaking hands.
3. Why is the enzyme that converts the RNA in HIV into DNA referred to as reverse
transcriptase?
Reverse transcriptase is called that because it does the opposite of normal transcription.
Normally, in cells, DNA is used to make RNA. HIV carries RNA as its genetic material, and
reverse transcriptase converts this RNA back into DNA so it can integrate into the host cell’s
genome. This reverse process is essential for the virus to hijack the host cell.
4. What happens to the viral DNA if the helper T cell divides?
After HIV infects a cell, its DNA is integrated into the host cell’s genome. If the helper T cell
divides, the viral DNA is copied along with the cell’s DNA during replication. This means both
new daughter cells will contain the viral DNA, allowing the virus to persist in the body even as
cells divide
5. Explain why it is possible for a human to be infected with HIV and not exhibit any of the
symptoms of AIDS.
A person can be infected with HIV without showing symptoms because the virus can enter a
latent stage, where it remains in the cell without actively killing it. During this stage, the immune
system still functions well enough to fight infections. Symptoms of AIDS only appear after a
significant number of helper T cells have been destroyed and the immune system becomes
severely weakened.
Questions 6-9 _ Answered by Zainab Ayodeji
6. Indicate why people infected with HIV most often die of another infection, such as
pneumonia.
HIV destroys CD4 (T-helper) cells, which are important for fighting infections. When these cells
are destroyed, the immune system becomes weak, so the body cannot fight diseases. As a
result, people often die from opportunistic infections like pneumonia rather than HIV itself.
7. David Vetter, “the boy in the plastic bubble,” suffered from a disorder called severe combined
immunodeficiency syndrome. How does this disorder differ from acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome? (Severe combined immuno- deficiency syndrome is discussed in more detail in
Chapter 10, section 10.1.)
8. Why is it so difficult to destroy a virus that mutates frequently?
It is difficult to destroy a virus that mutates frequently because its genetic makeup changes
often. These changes can make the virus unrecognizable to the immune system or resistant to
medications and vaccines, making it harder to treat or eliminate.
9. Canadian Blood Services inquires about a person’s travels before blood donations are
accepted. Explain why this practice can be classified as preventive.
Canadian Blood Service asks about travel history to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
through donated blood. Some regions have diseases that could be passed through blood
transfusions. By checking travel history, they reduce the risk of contaminated blood entering the
blood supply, protecting patients who receive transfusions.
Questions 10-13 _ Answered by Siman Bare
10. Can HIV be transmitted through either food or beverages? Explain your answer.
Making Connections
No, HIV cannot be transmitted through food or beverages.
HIV is spread through specific bodily fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk) entering
the bloodstream. The virus does not survive well outside the human body and is destroyed by
stomach acid and digestion, so eating or drinking cannot transmit it.
11. Should health-care workers, such as doctors, dentists, and nurses, be screened for HIV?
Justify your answer. What pre- cautions do medical professionals take to protect themselves
from the AIDS virus?
Health care workers do not need mandatory HIV screening because the risk of transmission is
very low with proper precautions. They protect themselves by using gloves, masks, sterilized
tools, safe needle handling, and following universal precautions.
12. How can the spread of AIDS be prevented? List numerous policies that might minimize the
spread of the disease.
AIDS can be prevented by practicing safe sex, regular HIV testing, screening blood donations,
using clean needles, providing education, and ensuring access to treatments like antiretroviral
therapy, PrEP, and PEP.
13. Currently, blood tests are available to screen for the AIDS virus. Although these tests are
very effective in detecting the virus, they fail if the virus has been contracted recently. Research
how the AIDS test works. Explain why the test may fail to detect the virus after a recent
exposure to H
Blood tests may not detect HIV right away because of the “window period,” when the body has
not yet produced enough antibodies or virus levels for the test to detect, leading to a false
negative early on.