HumanImmunodeficiencyVirus

BySamaraHerrick

Humans are fragilecreaturesheldtogetherby

amazing cells who sacrifice their lives to
create an immune system to protect us.
However,these littleguysneedprotectiontoo
from the serial killer HIV. The human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) issmallbutis
detrimental to the human immune system as
it is causes acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome(AIDS).

This disease attacksimmune cellsinthebody

and makes humans defenseless against very
dangerous and life threatening diseases that
they would have not been vulnerable to, had
they not contracted the HIV virus. An HIV
particle is small and has a diameter of about
1/10,000 mm and can be transmitted from
one human to another through bodily fluids
such as semen, blood and vaginal and rectal
secretions.When HIV enters your body,
researchers believe thatthevirusattachestoa
specific type of immune system cell called a
dendritic cell. These cells are found in
mucocutaneous (mucosal membranes) These
dendritic cells transport the virus from the
site of the infection to your lymph nodes
where HIV can infect other immune system
cells.HIVthenattachestothesecellscalled,

CD4 cells which are atypeofwhitebloodcell

that fights infection and is made in the lymph
nodes. The virus then infects them and uses
them as a place to multiply and grow more of
itself. Like all viruses, HIVisnotaliveandcan
not reproduce therefore in order to grow they
needtoattachthemselvestolivingcells.

Also much like other viruses, HIV does not

have a cell wall or a nucleus. It does however
have theviralenvelopewhichisveryimportant
to its performance as a virus. This is outer
coating of the virus, consisting oftwolayersof
lipids. Different proteins areembeddedintothe
viral envelope, forming "spikes" consisting of
the outer glycoprotein and the transmembrane.
This membrane is actually borrowed from the
CD4 cells during the budding process
(formation of new particles) and is needed to
attach to the host cell, making it criticalforthe
cell fusion process. Without the cell fusion
process, the HIV virus would be unable to
spread making it harmless, as it would affect
few cells, then die off. However, HIV is a
thriving virus, so a cure is yet to be found for
AIDS. There are medications that will lessen
the symptoms, but slowly and surely the HIV
virus will attack and kill your poor yet brave
littleimmunesystemcells.

Left:Electronmicroscope
imageofaHIVparticle.

Right:DiagramofHIV
particle