Final answer:
Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme found in certain RNA viruses, such as retroviruses like HIV. It converts viral RNA into DNA through reverse transcription. This viral DNA integrates into the host cell's DNA and is transcribed and replicated with the host cell's DNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme found in certain RNA viruses, such as retroviruses like HIV. Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme found in certain RNA viruses, such as retroviruses like HIV. It converts viral RNA into DNA through reverse transcription. This viral DNA integrates into the host cell's DNA and is transcribed and replicated with the host cell's DNA.
Its main purpose is to convert the viral RNA into a complementary strand of DNA through a process called reverse transcription. This viral DNA is then integrated into the host cell's DNA and transcribed and replicated along with the host cell's DNA. Reverse transcriptase is also used as a laboratory tool in genetic engineering to reverse transcribe cDNA from RNA sequences.