Resistance is Futile - Or Is It?

By Annie Prud’homme-Genereux

Abstract

While the majority of people are prone to HIV infection, some individuals remain uninfected despite repeated exposure. This case study is based on the landmark paper by Paxton et al. (1996) that uncovered some of the mechanisms of protection against HIV infection. Using a progressive disclosure format, students are guided to suggest hypotheses, predict the outcomes of experiments, and compare their predictions with the paper’s results. Developed for a first-year non-majors biology course, the case is appropriate for introducing students to the immune system and the human immunodeficiency virus.

Download Case

Date Posted

08/16/2010

Overview

Objectives

Formulate testable hypotheses given preliminary data.
Suggest tests to evaluate hypotheses.
Predict results of experiments that would confirm each hypothesis.
Interpret data and compare to predicted outcomes.
Describe cellular and humoral immunity.
Draw the HIV virus structure and describe the function of each component.
Describe the interaction of the HIV virus with the immune system.
Differentiate between resistance and immunity as mechanisms of protection against a foreign particle.
Debate the pros and cons of personal knowledge of HIV resistance and immunity.

Keywords

HIV; human immunodeficiency virus; retrovirus; reverse transcriptase; T cell; immune system; immunity; AIDS; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; infectious disease; experimental design; data interpretation

Subject Headings

Biology (General)

Cell Biology

Medicine (General)

Microbiology

Molecular Biology

Physiology

Public Health

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

Scientific method, Social issues

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Interrupted, Journal Article

Teaching Notes & Answer Key

Teaching Notes

Case teaching notes are protected and access to them is limited to paid subscribed instructors. To become a paid subscriber, purchase a subscription here.

Teaching notes are intended to help teachers select and adopt a case. They typically include a summary of the case, teaching objectives, information about the intended audience, details about how the case may be taught, and a list of references and resources.

Download Notes

Answer Key

Answer Keys are protected and access to them is limited to paid subscribed instructors. To become a paid subscriber, purchase a subscription here.

Download Answer Key

Materials & Media

Supplemental Materials

The supplemental material below may be used with this case study:

Click and Learn: Cells of the Immune System

Videos

HIV Life Cycle
A short video clip explaining how HIV infects a cell and replicates itself using reverse transcriptase and the host's cellular machinery. Running time: 4:52 min. Produced by HHMI BioInteractive.