Glossary

life cyle – the steps for an organism to reproduce or replicate.

The HIV life cycle includes:

• Attachment and binding to a CD4 cell).
• Fusion or joining the cell.
• Reverse transcription. When the single strand RNA becomes a double strand DNA.
• Integration. When the new double-strand virus enter the CD4 cell nucleus and is integrated into humn DNA.
• Replication. When new viral material is produced from the nucleus.
• Assembly and maturation. When new viral mateiral is cut up and reassembed to become new active virus.
• Budding. When the new virus leaves the CD4 cell.

See: HIV life cycle – how different drugs work in different ways.

immune system – the system that your body uses to fight infections.

hepatic – relating to the liver, ie hepatitis = liver inflamation, hepatocyte = liver cell etc.

PT (prothrombin time; pro-time) – PT testing measures the amount of time it takes for blood to clot. When the liver is damaged, its ability to make clotting factors is impaired. If this time increases – referred to as a prolonged PT interval – it shows that the liver is not working so well.

bradycardia is when the heart beats too slowly.

tachycardia refers to when the heart beats too fast.

See: arrhythmia