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.
portal hypertension – increased blood pressure (hypertension) in the vein carrying blood to the liver.
combination therapy – using three or more drugs together to treat HIV. It is also called triple therapy, cART (combination antiretroviral therapy) or HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy).
HCV – hepatitis C, a virus that causes liver disease.
Guide to HIV and hepatitis C coinfection.
amino acids – amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. DNA codes for amino acids. Three nucleotides (segments of the genetic code) make one amino acid. Amino acids are critical to life, and have many functions in the way your body works.
