HIV is a common example of an RNA _____, which carries the enzyme _____.

HIV is a common example of an RNA _____, which carries the enzyme _____.

• A. Bacteriophage; Reverse Transcriptase
• B. Adenovirus; DNA Polymerase
• C. Retrovirus; DNA Polymerase
• D. Retrovirus; Reverse Transcriptase

Answer: (D)

HIV is an RNA retrovirus, which means its genome is RNA and the virus brings its own reverse transcriptase. This enzyme copies the viral RNA into DNA inside the host cell, allowing the viral DNA to integrate into the host genome and hijack the cell’s machinery to produce more virus. That combination—RNA genome and carrying reverse transcriptase—is what defines retroviruses like HIV. Why this fits best: HIV is not a bacteriophage, which infects bacteria, and it’s not a DNA virus like adenovirus. It also doesn’t use DNA polymerase as its essential enzyme in the replication steps inside the virion; instead, it relies on reverse transcriptase to convert RNA into DNA. So describing HIV as an RNA retrovirus that carries reverse transcriptase matches its biology precisely.

HIV is an RNA retrovirus, which means its genome is RNA and the virus brings its own reverse transcriptase. This enzyme copies the viral RNA into DNA inside the host cell, allowing the viral DNA to integrate into the host genome and hijack the cell’s machinery to produce more virus. That combination—RNA genome and carrying reverse transcriptase—is what defines retroviruses like HIV.

Why this fits best: HIV is not a bacteriophage, which infects bacteria, and it’s not a DNA virus like adenovirus. It also doesn’t use DNA polymerase as its essential enzyme in the replication steps inside the virion; instead, it relies on reverse transcriptase to convert RNA into DNA. So describing HIV as an RNA retrovirus that carries reverse transcriptase matches its biology precisely.