Infection and replication of AIDS

Infection and Replication:

1. During infection, HIV attaches itself to the T4 cell membrane through a glycoprotein obtrusion in its outer membrane. Soon after that, the outer membrane of the virus breaks down, releasing RNA and the enzyme reverse transcriptions. This enzyme catalyzes the transcription of the viral RNA to DNA. The viral DNA that is formed then enters the T4 cell nucleus to combine with the T4 cell DNA. This results in the viral DNA becoming a permanent gene carrying HIV in the T4 lymphocyte of the infected person.

2. The viral DNA does not become active for some time. However, it could become activated when the body of a person responds to a certain infection through T4 lymphocyte activity. In the activated T4 lymphocyte, RNA and the viral protein replicate to form HIV core units which then leave the host cell, picking up a sample of the original outer membrane, which is still attached to the T4 cell. This way, a new generation of HIV is released into the blood. This new population of HIV then attacks other T4 cells, particularly those in the lymph nodes. As a result, the immune system of the person is crippled, making him or her more susceptible to various infections.

3. HIV also infects the brain cells causing them to be gradually damaged. HIV can also attack bone marrow and cause the precursor cells in blood tissue to become an HIV ‘pool’.