The isolation of enzymes from infected tissue can also provide the basis of a biochemical diagnosis of an infectious disease. For example, humans can make neither RNA replicases nor reverse transcriptase, and the presence of these enzymes are characteristic of specific types of viral infections. The ability of the viral protein hemagglutinin to bind red blood cells together into a detectable matrix may also be characterized as a biochemical test for viral infection, although strictly speaking hemagglutinin is not an enzyme and has no metabolic function. COUNT 4
QSN1 What needs to be isolated from infected tissue to provide a biochemical diagnosis of an infectious disease? ANS1 enzymes QSN2 What enzyme's presence is characteristic of specific types of viral infections? ANS2 RNA replicases QSN3 What does the protein hemagglutinin bind together? ANS3 red blood cells QSN4 Why are the presence of certain enymzes a tell tale sign of a virus? ANS4 humans can make neither RNA replicases nor reverse transcriptase