HIV Life Cycle Tournament
Open the HIV figure, then eight H2 rounds: fusion after CD4/CCR5, why AZT hits RT, the full cycle order, enzyme matching, one mutation per genome, latency, and why combination ART beats monotherapy.
HIV gp120 binds CD4, then a chemokine co-receptor (CCR5 or CXCR4), which lets gp41 drive of the viral and host membranes.
What this tournament tests
Each task maps to a distinct GCE A-Level cognitive demand. The opening figure orients you; the next 8 test the high-yield mechanism, regulation, sequence and quantitative reasoning that consistently appear on test day.
Whole-Pathway Overview
Pan the WikiPathways HIV life-cycle figure.
Fill in the Blank
Fusion after co-receptor engagement.
Disruptor
Why AZT prefers viral RT.
Sequence Ordering
Attachment to budding.
Match the Pairs
gp120, RT, integrase, protease, Tat/Rev.
Numeric Input
Mutations per genome copied.
Select All That Apply
Retrovirus and host-cell facts.
Odd One Out
Host Pol δ is not a viral enzyme.
ART Disruptor
Why three drugs beat one.
Public leaderboard
Your score posts to a global, persistent leaderboard scored by points first, time as tiebreaker.
HIV in 60 seconds
RNA retrovirus. gp120 binds CD4 + CCR5/CXCR4, gp41 fuses membranes.
RT writes cDNA. Integrase parks the provirus. Host transcription makes new genomes. Protease matures the particle.
Error-prone RT plus a latent reservoir is why monotherapy fails and a sterilising cure is hard.
9744 wants the enzyme–drug map, not a poster of the virus. AZT and other NRTIs hit reverse transcriptase; integrase inhibitors park the provirus; protease inhibitors leave immature particles. Combination therapy exists because one mutation per genome copied is enough to escape a single drug.
FAQ
Where does HIV sit on the H2 Biology 9744 syllabus?
Under infectious disease and viral replication. Papers ask the sequence from attachment to budding, which enzyme each ART class hits, and why an error-prone polymerase plus a latent reservoir defeats monotherapy.
Why does combination ART beat a single drug?
Reverse transcriptase has no proofreading. Roughly one mutation per genome copied means a single-drug pressure selects a resistant clone in days. Three drugs with different targets make simultaneous escape statistically rare.
What is the difference between gp120 and gp41?
gp120 is the surface glycoprotein that binds CD4 and a co-receptor (CCR5 or CXCR4). gp41 is the fusion peptide that then pulls the viral and host membranes together. Attachment and fusion are two different steps.
Is this the same as the MCAT immune-system game?
No. That page is a different URL on a different exam. This tournament is written for Singapore-Cambridge H2 Biology and does not reuse that question set.