What is AIDS?
The AIDS virus, sometimes called "Human Immunodeficiency Virus" (HIV), "Human T-Cell Lymphotropic VirusIII" (HTLV-III), or "Lymphadenopathy Virus" (LAV) is an incredibly small organism, roughly 1,000 angstrom units (one ten-thousandth of a millimeter) across--just a little larger than the wavelength of red light. Neither plant nor animal, the virus particle (virion) is covered by two layers of fatty material that are stolen from the outer covering of the human host cell (T4Lymphocyte--a white blood cell). Studding the AIDS retrovirus's surface, much like straight pins protruding from a pin cushion, are 'glycoprotein'--proteins with sugar molecule chains attached. Each glycoprotein has two components: glycoprotein-41 (gp-41)--the body of the example pin--spans the spherical surface of the virus and glycoprotein-120 (gp-120)--the head of the example pin--extends beyond the spherical surface placed at the end of gp-41. The spherical surface covers a core made up of proteins designated protein-24 (p-24) and protein-18 (p-18).
Inside the spherical surface, the core of the AIDS retrovirus contains ribonucleic acid (RNA) along with copies of an enzyme known as "reverse transcriptase" which help the AIDS virion break apart T4-lymphocyte deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)--the material from which genes, cell reproduction instructions for white blood cells, are made--and assemble and insert its own DNA (viral DNA--genetic machinery) back into the T4-lymphocyte (T4-cell) nucleus. That simple process, assembling and inserting its own DNA into the T4-cell, commandeering the T4-cell genetic machinery to produce more HTLV-III virions, is the first major assault and begins after the HIV retrovirus enters the T4-cell.
The Immune System and AIDS
In war, surprise attack is a cherished strategy. Better yet is the conversion of the palace guard to the side of the enemy --treason kills the king......
