does anyone know if we need to know about reverse transcriptase and why is can't be used for some viirus testing in pcr?

if we do can someone let me know the answer because i've tried searching on google but I can't find anything that relates to any other dot points.

    Taaaa76

    "Two reasons why RT-PCR cannot be used on all viruses included:
    • a suitable probe may not be available or a complementary probe has not been produced
    • not all viruses are made of RNA, or the nucleotide sequence in a virus may not be unique enough.
    Students who were able to apply their knowledge of complementary sequences to this unfamiliar situation provided suitable reasons."

    I get the second option, but I don't understand the first; do you know what suitable probe means?

        prettypink1881 The stem of that part of the question says the probes attach only to complementary sequences on particular viruses. So if a probe didn't exist with that particular complementary sequence then it wouldn't work because the probes are required for RT-PCR. I think?

            jessh24 i think divergent is, not convergent.

            All you would really need to know about convergent anyway is that analagous structures is a sign of it. Wouldnt hurt to know about it

              jessh24 No. In the biology FAQ document, it specifically states that knowledge of convergent and divergent evolution is not needed. You just need to know what homologous, analogous, and vestigial structures are (this is basically convergent and divergent evolution anyways). However, divergent evolution is basically just regular evolution, thus you may need to know it.

                Does anyone know if we need to know specific ways that scientists use CRISPR technology to modify organisms like non-homologus or homologous end joining?

                  Meep<3 You do not need to know the specifics of NHEJ and HDR. You simply need to know that genes can be knocked in and out.

                    does anyone know how the adaptive immune response rejects a transplant organ? is it the same in that apcs engulf the foreign antigens etc, or is it different?

                      prettypink1881
                      Your body rejects an organ when its antigens arent the same as yours, so it will recognise it as non-self and basically initiates the adaptive immune response to get rid of it

                          I had a question, when the helper T cells are activated by an antigen-presenting cell, how does it know whether it should activate a B lymphocyte or a cytotoxic T cell? So in other words how does the T helper cell know if it should activate the cell-mediated response or the humoral response?

                            Meep<3 I don't think we need to know "how they know", but the cell mediated response will be initiated if the pathogen is intracellular, and has invaded a cell ie a virus. the humoral response will be initiated if the pathogen is an extracellular pathogen. both a t helper cell and a naive t or b cell need to be selected by the same antigen for the response to happen. i think.