Making a vaccine for HIV is difficult because the virus has a rapid rate of (A)__________. This is because it is a(n) (B)________ - its genetic material is RNA instead of DNA.
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mutation
see:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120409133046AADHBVS
mutation, retrovirus
To answer the question, let's break it down into two parts:
Part A: The HIV virus has a rapid rate of _______.
The missing word is "mutation." HIV is known for its high mutation rate, which means it can change and evolve quickly. This makes it challenging to develop a vaccine against HIV because the virus can evade the immune system's defenses by constantly altering its surface proteins. To keep up with such a quickly changing virus, researchers need to consider various strategies, such as targeting more conserved regions of the virus or developing vaccines that can stimulate broad immune responses.
Part B: HIV is a(n) ________ - its genetic material is RNA instead of DNA.
The missing word is "retrovirus." HIV belongs to a family of viruses called retroviruses. Retroviruses are unique because they use RNA as their genetic material instead of DNA. When the virus infects a human cell, it converts its RNA into DNA using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This new DNA is then integrated into the host cell's genetic material, allowing the virus to replicate and produce more copies of itself.
So, in summary, making a vaccine for HIV is challenging because the virus has a rapid rate of mutation, and it is a retrovirus with RNA as its genetic material.