Virus Components
True or False:
Viruses cannot replicate without a host cell.
True or False:
Ribosomes generate viral proteins using mRNA.
Inactivated vaccines contain a weakened form of the disease-causing virus
What is the function of mRNA
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, contains the instructions necessary to create proteins. This information is carried by mRNA to a ribosome, the site for protein synthesis
Copy and Paste: https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/mhccmajorsbio/chapter/production-of-a-protein/
List three factors that influence vaccine hesitancy
Political Affiliations, Vaccine type, Gender, Religion, Race, Ethnicity
Are viruses alive? Explain
They are not alive because they do not have cells, they cannot reproduce, they do not use energy, and they do not respond to their environment.
What type of vaccine is best for combatting protein-mutated viruses
Inactivated vaccines provide multiple antigenic features to the host immune system, resulting in more robust immunity against spike protein-mutated variants
Which provides longer-lasting immunity, live-attenuated or inactivated vaccines
Live-attenuated vaccines yield longer-lasting immunity. Since this vaccine type contains a live pathogen, it provokes a similar immune response to the non-weakened pathogen
https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/understanding_six_types_of_vaccine_technologies
Explain the difference between antigens and antibodies
An antigen is a protein, sugar, lipid, or nucleic acid which induces an immune response. An antibody is a protein that the body generates and it is able to recognize antigens and alerts the rest of the immune system so the threat can be neutralized
Which regions in the US were the most hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and why do you think this
Mid-North Western Region because this region is less socially vulnerable to disaster, the prevalence of the virus is less due to population density being less
https://data.cdc.gov/stories/s/Vaccine-Hesitancy-for-COVID-19/cnd2-a6zw/
How does the capsid, or protective protein shell, of a virus bind to the host cell?
Proteins on the surface of the capsid bind to specific receptors, usually proteins, on the membrane of the host cell.
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biology-of-viruses/virus-biology/a/intro-to-viruses
How do viruses use host cells to carry out protein synthesis?
Viruses are completely reliant on their host cells for replication (except for a very select few) to produce the polypeptides that allow the virus to replicate
How do live attenuated vaccines generate immunity
A weakened pathogen strain is introduced into the human body and recognized by the host immune system. Short-lived effector cells and pathogen-specific antibodies are generated as a part of the immune response. These will protect against future exposure to the infectious strain
Explain the difference between active and passive immunity
Passive immunity is when immunity is gained through someone else's actions (or maternal antibody). Active immunity is when immunity is gained through action
How did media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic (especially in the early months) affect vaccine hesitancy in the United States
Most popular news outlets reported the pandemic in a very negative light, with the Trump administration and other political leaders downplaying the pandemic and spreading misinformation, as well as general fear, doubt, and mistrust
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28110/w28110.pdf
How are viruses different from bacteria, which also cause illness?
Unlike viruses, bacteria are living cells that can reproduce independently of a host cell. Thus, bacterial infections are treated differently from viral infections.
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biology-of-viruses/virus-biology/a/intro-to-viruses
Why is it that different viruses can only bind to specific cells
All receptors are unique (in shape) so viruses can only bind to cells that contain the shape of its protein. Extra: the different variants of Covid have made it so that certain vaccines (mRNA specifically) are less effective due to protein variation
Why might the more general immune response generated by an inactivated vaccine prove more useful than the stronger immune response generated by another vaccine type?
The strong immune response against the original infectious strain may be ineffective against variants of this original strain. Since inactivated vaccines generate a more general immune response, this vaccine type may prove effective against variants
How do viral vector vaccines generate immunity
Viral vector vaccines contain a harmless vector virus, not the virus being targeted. This modified virus prompts human cells to produce the antigens associated with the targeted virus, provoking an immune response. The immune system is thereafter better prepared to protect against future infection
What are potential measures to combat vaccine hesitancy
Broad and sweeping informational campaigns on vaccines, directly addressing misinformation and disinformation, and providing incentives
List the steps of the viral life cycle
Attachment, Entry, Genome Replication and gene expression, assembly, release
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biology-of-viruses/virus-biology/a/intro-to-viruses
How does the Coronavirus affect protein synthesis in the host
The Coronavirus has very evolved mechanisms to breakdown the host’s mechanisms for defense against viruses and “hijack” the host’s translation function in order to spread the virus throughout the body
Why might live-attenuated vaccines be unsuitable for those with the compromised immune system
Live-attenuated vaccines contain a weakened form of the disease-causing virus. If a person has a compromised immune system, this weakened virus may still cause disease. Rare cases of live-attenuated vaccines reverting to a form capable of causing disease have also been recorded
How do mRNA vaccines generate immunity
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines inject mRNA containing a specific set of instructions into the human body. These instructions prompt ribosomes to generate viral proteins that the immune system will thereafter recognize
Why is herd immunity important and how might hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine affect efforts to reduce current levels of infection
If a high enough percentage of the population is immune, the rate of spread and risk of severe illness can be dramatically reduced which serves community members who cannot be vaccinated and are more susceptible to disease. Continued hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine, which inhibits the growth of herd immunity, increases the risk that SARS-CoV-2 will continue to circulate through the population
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/what-is-herd-immunity-and-how-can-we-achieve-it-with-covid-19