Question

Caroline, a pregnant 29 year old woman who is HIV positive and has no signs of AIDS. Which of Caroline's cells are infected by the virus and why can this be devastating to the immune system?

Answer 1

HIV infects and destroys helper T cells, which are essential for regulating the immune response. By constantly mutating and using host cell membranes to hide its antigens, the virus evades the immune system and continues to destroy helper T cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

HIV infects and destroys helper T cells, which are a type of lymphocytes that regulate the immune response. The virus injects its own nucleic acid into a helper T cell and uses the cell's machinery to make copies of itself. In the process, the helper T cell is destroyed, and the virus copies go on to infect other helper T cells. HIV is able to evade the immune system and keep destroying helper T cells by mutating frequently and using the host cell's membrane to hide its own antigens.