RNA – an abbreviation for the scientific word for genetic material found in some types of viruses. It is the abbreviation for ribonucleic acid. It is very similar to DNA but is single-strand rather than the double-strand in DNA. See DNA.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
autoantibody – abnormal antibodies produced against the body’s own tissues.
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) – type of viral load test.
NASBA (nucleic acid sequence based amplification) – a type of viral load test.
lymph (or lymphatic) system – vessels, nodes, organs and clear fluid, that are part of the immune system.