HIV Replication

• What type of cell does HIV infect?

  Helper T cells
• How does HIV bind to a helper T cell?

  Attachment proteins bind to complementary receptors
• What enters the T cell during HIV infection?

  The capsid containing viral RNA
• What is the role of reverse transcriptase in HIV infection?

  It converts viral RNA into single-stranded DNA
• What happens to the single-stranded DNA after reverse transcription?

  It is made into double-stranded DNA
• Where does the double-stranded viral DNA go after formation?

  It enters the nucleus
• What does the host cell do with the viral DNA?

  It transcribes it to make viral RNA
• How are new HIV viruses formed in the host cell?

  Viral RNA and proteins are assembled
• How do new HIV viruses exit the host cell?

  They bud off taking part of the membrane
• What is the effect of HIV on helper T cells?

  It destroys them, weakening the immune system