Lymphatic SystemSpecific Defenses |
What are the symptoms and signs of HIV? |
The warning signs of HIV infection include night sweats, prolonged fevers; severe weight loss; persistent diarrhea; red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids; persistent dry cough; swollen lymph nodes in the armpits, groin, or neck; white spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat; memory loss, depression, and other neurological disorders. However, the only way to determine if you are infected is to be tested for HIV.
The lifecycle of HIV: 1) HIV binds to the T-cell; 2) Viral RNA is released ino the host cell; 3) Reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into viral DNA; 4) Viral DNA enters the T-cell’s nucleus and inserts itself into the T-cell’s DNA; 5) The T-cell begins to make copies of the HIV components; 6) Protease (an enzyme) helps create new virus particles; 7) The new HIV virion (virus particle) is released from the T-cell; A=HIV virion (virus particle); B=Viral RNA; C=Reverse transcriptase; D=Viral DNA; E=T-cell; F=Viral RNA; G=New HIV virion; H=HIV proteins. Anatomical Chart Co.