Question

Name the type of cells the AIDS virus first enters into after getting inside the human body. Explain the sequence of events that the virus undergoes within these cells to increase their progeny.

Answer 1

Hint: AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) appears when HIV virus badly damages the body’s immune system to fight against infections. AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection. Viruses use living cells of the host to replicate.

Complete step by step answer: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks cells which help the body to fight against infections and it weakens the immune system. HIV virus transmits via sexual contact (including anal or oral sex), by transfusion of contaminated blood, infected needle, infected mother to child through placenta.
Virus firstly enters into T-helper cells or CD4 + cells (a type of white blood cells) after getting into the body. Then the viral RNA genome replicates to form viral DNA with reverse transcriptase enzyme. After that viral DNA integrates with host’s cell DNA and then macrophages produce virus particles, as viruses use host’s cell to replicate and to increase its progeny. So, in this way viral DNA gets replicated with host’s DNA to form several viral proteins and continues to replicate and increase their progeny.
A person with HIV infection progresses to AIDS when the number of CD4 cells falls below 200cells/mm3.

Note: If an infected person with HIV takes medicine every day as per prescription of a doctor stops the progression of disease and to reach the stage of AIDS. If Infected did not take HIV medicine then he/ she can survive only upto 3-4 years with AIDS. Physical touch like handshake, hug, clothes sharing, food sharing do not transmit AIDS virus one person to another.

Subject BIOLOGY