Question

HIV-1 is highly lethal in humans because:

a) The high mutation rate of RNA viruses allows natural selection to act
rapidly, enabling the virus to evolve resistance to host defenses
b) Natural selection favors high infectivity of the virus, which is linked to high viral loads
c) The immune response against HIV creates more of the cells that are hosts to HIV virions
d) The evolutionary history of HIV and of primates has resulted in unique molecular properties in both organisms that enable HIV to be particularly infective and damaging
e) All of the above

Answer 1

HIV-1 is highly lethal in humans due to a combination of factors including the high mutation rate, high infectivity, and immune response against the virus.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is e) All of the above. HIV-1 is highly lethal in humans due to a combination of factors. The high mutation rate of RNA viruses allows the virus to rapidly evolve resistance to host defenses, including drugs. Natural selection favors high infectivity of the virus, which is linked to high viral loads. The immune response against HIV can also create more host cells for the virus to infect. Additionally, the evolutionary history of HIV and primates has resulted in unique molecular properties that make HIV particularly infective and damaging.