HIV

• Viral replication of HIV

  1. virus attaches to T helper cell by attachment proteins
  2. penetration and uncoating occurs releasing the viral RNA and enzymes
  3. reverse transcriptase enzyme copies the HIV RNA into HIV DNA
  4. the viral DNA is inserted into the host DNA --> forms a provirus
  5. provirus synthesises new viral RNA and viral proteins
  6. new components are assembled together to form the same virus
• HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus
• HIV infects and replicates in helper T cells
• HIV reduces the number of helper T cells by lysis of replicated HIV
• how HIV can lead to death:

  • less T helper cells
  • so less B cells activated
  • so less antibodies produced
  • so immune system is unable to fight against opportunistic infections