Question

Name the cells that act as HIV factories in humans when infected by HIV. Explain the events that occur inside the infected cell?

Answer 1

Hint: By the word factory we understand that it is a place where manufacturing and storage are done. So, in the following cases, we can understand that it is that cell where the HIV virus after replicating itself, gets stored.

Complete answer: As we know, manufacturing occurs in the factory, so being concerned in the above question which place in the body does HIV virus manufactures or stores itself. This site is macrophages of the cell, as these macrophages act as an HIV factory inside the body.

Now, let us understand why is it so
It is because when a human is infected by an HIV virus, the RNA of the virus replicates itself to form the viral DNA with the help of the enzyme reverse transcriptase present in the host cell. With the help of this newly produced viral DNA, other new viral RNAs are produced that further infects another healthy cell and this process keeps on continuing with other cells also.
The virus is actually a non-living organism which becomes living inside a host cell. Let us now look at the events inside the cell.

              

This viral DNA combines with the DNA of the infected cell and new viral RNAs are produced by a sequence of events. These infect other healthy cells.

Now, the replica is done. We know that All the virus has a latent period for the infection and also that they can hide themselves for certain durations where they are completely non-functional and can cause the infection when conditions are favourable for them. In this latent period of HIV, they hide themselves in the macrophages and thus, it acts as a storehouse for HIV.

Note: Macrophages are the part of HIV's non-favourable time and they help HIV to hide inside them. If it assists the virus and causes the infection as well as serving as a storehouse, macrophages are the factory of HIV inside the human body.