Download The Effect of HIV on the Immune System

Rico, Patrick, Myeong Jin, and Jimmy

Retrovirus

HIV is a lentrivirus, a
subset of retroviruses.
◦ Viruses that copy RNA
into DNA
◦ They are slow viruses,
meaning there is an
interval between
infection and the onset
of symptoms.

HIV can always turn
into AIDS, what differs
in each patient is the
time it takes.



The process of
changing the viral RNA
into a complementary
DNA sequence.
The viral DNA then joins
with the cell DNA, and
integrates the virus into
the cell.
The DNA then produces
viral proteins, resulting
in more HIV cells to
infect the rest of the
cells in the infected
body.




Using the process of reverse
transcriptase, HIV travels
through the infected body
infecting CD4+T cells.
T cells are responsible for
helping B cells in make
antibodies or killing foreign
cells aside from bacteria.
The HIV infection makes the
T cells useless, as well as
using them to reproduce and
infect other T Cells.
A healthy human has over
1,000 T cells, someone with
HIV can have less than 200.





Arnold, Eddy. Reverse Transcriptase. Digital image.
Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 8 May 2008. Web. 30
Sept. 2009.
<http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v453/n7192/imag
es/453169b-f1.2.jpg>.
Burrell, John. "Defense Against Infectious Disease."
Click4Biology. 31 Aug. 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2009.
<http://click4biology.info/c4b/6/hum6.3.htm#seven>.
HIV Anatomy. Digital image. Mpelembe Network. Mpelembe
Network, 6 Jan. 2006. Web. 28 Sept. 2009.
<http://mpelembe.blogware.com/_photos/ZYGOTE-MEDIAGROUP-HIV-ANAT.jpg>.
"HIV Infection: Reverse Transcription." CELLS Alive! Quill
Graphics, 2006. Web. 30 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.cellsalive.com/hiv2.htm>.
"What are CD4+T Cells?" HIV.com. WebMagic, Inc., 2000.
Web. 30 Sept. 2009. <http://www.hiv.com/page5.html>.