NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A type of virus that has RNA instead of DNA as its genetic material. It uses an enzyme called reverse transcriptase to become part of the host cells’ DNA. This allows many copies of the virus to be made in the host cells.

Detailed explanation-2: -Retroviruses are “retro” because they reverse the direction of the normal gene-copying process. Usually, cells convert DNA into RNA so that it can be made into proteins. But with retroviruses, the process has to start by going backward.

Detailed explanation-3: -Retroviruses carry their genome as RNA, and because they replicate via a DNA intermediate, they must also carry the sequence for the promoter that will drive the expression of the genomic RNA.

Detailed explanation-4: -Retroviruses and Retroviral Infections The Retroviridae constitute a large family of viruses that predominantly infect both human and animal vertebrates. They are positive-stranded enveloped RNA viruses that reverse transcribe their RNA into a DNA intermediate during viral replication, hence the name ‘retroviruses’.

Detailed explanation-5: -After a retrovirus enters a host cell, reverse transcriptase converts the retroviral RNA genome into double-stranded DNA. This viral DNA then migrates to the nucleus and becomes integrated into the host genome. Viral genes are transcribed and translated.