The genome of HIV virus contains which of the following?
High-Yield Explanation
HIV is an enveloped icosahedral sphere. It has 2 identical, non complementary strands of RNA and 3 enzymes (reverse transcriptase, integrase and protease) packed in a cone shaped protein core. This core is surrounded by a protein coat called capsid. This capsid along with the enclosed nucleic acid is called nucleocapsid. Capsid acts as a protective shell around the nucleic acid core and helps to introduce the viral genome into host cell by adsorbing readily to host cell surfaces. Most RNA viruses are single stranded except reoviridae which is double stranded. Most DNA virus are double stranded except poxviridae which is single stranded. Ref: HIV and AIDS: Basic Elements and Priorities By S. Kahikeyan, Pages 41-3