VIRUS ANIMATIONS: HIV

VIRUS: Human Immunodeficency Virus Particles (HIV)

Animation of HIV / AIDS virus particles showing internal structure. The trimer (3-protein) spikes that radiate out help the virus to attach to cells. The spikes are made of gp120 (outer knob) and gp41 (stalk, trans-membrane section, and cytoplasmic tail). The virus is covered by a viral envelope (translucent) derived from the host cell during budding. Below the envelope are the matrix proteins (MA, forming a cage-like structure). In the middle of the virion is the dark, bullet-shaped core (containing the viral RNA and the enzyme reverse transcriptase). HIV is a retrovirus (it reverse transcribes its RNA into DNA). This viral DNA is integrated into the host cell DNA. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.