Glossary

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.

frequency – how often.

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.

active – an active drug is a drug that still works to reduce viral load. The virus is still sensitive to that drug.

reverse transcriptase – an enzyme unique to HIV. It is used to convert single-strand RNA into double-strand DNA. This is needed before HIV’s genetic material can be integrated in the human DNA. HIV drugs that stop this process are called reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs).