Answer to Question #137381 in Cell Biology for Noemi

Question

What is the difference in the function of the glycoprotein structures of an HIV virion and the cilia of an animal cell?

Answer 1

The glycoprotein structures of an HIV virion are used for attachment, while the cilia of an animal cell are used to move fluids surrounding the cell.

- Glycoproteins on the surface of the envelope serve to identify and bind to receptor sites on the host's membrane. The viral envelope then fuses with the host's membrane, allowing the capsid and viral genome to enter and infect the host.

- Cilia and flagella are motile cellular appendages found in most microorganisms and animals, but not in higher plants. In multicellular organisms, cilia function to move a cell or group of cells or to help transport fluid or materials past them.