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People who lived in the United Kingdom during the 1980s and 1990s are not accepted as blood donors in Australia because they might have eaten beef infected with prions - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 15 - 2006 - Paper 1
Question 15
People who lived in the United Kingdom during the 1980s and 1990s are not accepted as blood donors in Australia because they might have eaten beef infected with prio... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:People who lived in the United Kingdom during the 1980s and 1990s are not accepted as blood donors in Australia because they might have eaten beef infected with prions - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 15 - 2006 - Paper 1
Step 1
Why is this precaution being taken?
Answer
The precaution is being taken because the potential presence of prions in donated blood poses a risk. Prions are misfolded proteins that can lead to serious neurodegenerative diseases such as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Among the provided options, the most accurate explanation is:
(D) Donated blood might contain prions capable of altering protein structure in the brain cells.
This option accurately reflects the nature of prions and their ability to induce pathological changes in proteins, causing serious health issues.