Fighting Back

1. To defeat the mumps virus I had to have the macrophage devour part of the virus, and
then have the macrophage display fragments of the cell on its outer surface. The
macrophage then needed to go bind with the helper T cell that matched the fragment of
the virus displayed.
2. HIV is successful because it attacks the helper T cells.
3. Health officials were more worried about swine flu because it is transmitted more easily
than HIV.
4. HIV is more complex and changes quicker than swine flu. Also, no one has every
recovered from HIV, so there is no mechanism to imitate. Most importantly though, HIV
destroys the immune system which is usually used to fight off virus.
5. Yes, I think there is a possibility to find an HIV vaccine. Recent research suggests small
advancements being made to find the vaccine. In 2009, it was discovered that RV144 trail
was able to induce an immune response in some people.
6. Virus: the viruses that can be more easily transported between humans will be the ones to
succeed.
Humans: Humans with a higher tolerance to HIV will be more likely to survive and pass
down this trait.
Auto Immune Diseases
Addisons disease is a rare autoimmune disease that occurs when the adrenal glands
produce insufficient amounts of the hormones, cortisol and aldosterone. The adrenal glands are
small organs located on top of the kidneys. A normally functioning adrenal gland produces
steroid hormones, like cortisol, aldosterone, estrogen, and testosterone. The adrenal glands are
divided into two sections: the cortex and the medulla. The cortex is the outer part, whereas the
medulla is the inner part of the adrenal glands. When the cortex is damaged, Addisons disease
develops, and the glands will produce hormone low levels. Usually, the damage to the cortex is
caused by the immune system not recognizing the adrenal glands and attacking them. However,
the Addisons disease sometimes occurs because of tuberculosis, tumors, or a hemorrhage.
Some symptoms of Addisons disease include extreme fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, low
blood pressure, low blood sugar, vomiting, hyperpigmentation, mouth lesions, and weight loss.
Hyperpigmentation is when parts of the skin darken because of an increase in melanin. The
weight loss that occurs in people with Addisons disease is a result of their decreased appetite.

Research also shows that there is a correlation between people with Addisons disease and
depression.
Addisons disease can be controlled with hormone therapy. The treatments involve
replacing hormones to correct levels in the body. Three types of treatment include: oral
corticosteroids, corticosteroid injections, and androgen replacement therapy. It is also
recommended the people with Addisons disease eat more sodium. If a person is having a life
threatening Addison attack, an Addisonian crisis, the person will need injections of
hydrocortisone, saline solution, and dextrose.