Structure

• What type of structure does HIV have?

  a spherical structure
• Give, briefly the 4 main parts of the structure of HIV?

  • Core containing RNA and proteins
  • Outer coating- capsid
  • Envelope from stolen membrane
  • Attachment protein
• What does the core contain?


  • The genetic material- RNA
  • Some proteins including the enzyme reverse transcriptase
• What is the enzyme reverse transcriptase needed for?


  virus replication
• what enzyme is needed for virus replication?

  reverse transcriptase
• what is the capsid?

  An outer coating of protein
• What is the extra outer layer called + what is it made from?


  • Called an envelope
  • Made of membrane stolen from the cell membrane of a previous host cell
• What can be found sticking out from the envelope?

  Loads of copies of an attachment protein that help HIV attach to the HOST HELPER T-CELL