Retroviral replication cycle

Retroviral replication begins when the virus attaches to a host cell and injects its genetic material (RNA). Inside the cell, the virus uses its enzyme, reverse transcriptase, to convert its RNA into DNA. This DNA is then integrated into the host’s DNA, allowing the virus to hijack the cell's machinery to produce new viral components. These components assemble into new virus particles, which eventually leave the cell to infect others. This process explains how retroviruses, like HIV, replicate and spread within the body.