Replication of HIV

• Where does HIV replicate?


  inside it's host helper T-cells
• Where can HIV and viruses only reproduce?

  inside the cells of the organism it has infected
• Why can HIV not replicate on its own?

  It does not have the equipment such as enzymes and ribosomes so it uses those of the host cell.
• What is the first step of HIV replication?

  The attachment protein attaches to a receptor molecule on the cell membrane of the host helper T-cell
• what is step 2?


  capsid released into the cell where it uncoats and releases RNA into the cell's cytoplasm
• what is step 3?

  inside the cell, reverse transcriptase is used to make a complementary strand of DNA from the viral RNA template
• What is step 4?

  From this, double-stranded DNA is made and inserted into the human DNA
• What is step 5?

  Host cell enzymes are used to make viral proteins from the viral DNA
• What is Step 6?

  Viral proteins assembled into new viruses which BUD from the cell and go on to infect other cells