Final answer:
The correct order after HIV components are made is Assembly, Maturation, Budding. The number of HIV particles increases leads to a decrease in CD4 T-cells and a weakened immune system. Antiretroviral therapy can delay the symptoms of AIDS.
Step-by-step explanation:
After HIV components are made, the correct order of the stages that produce mature HIV particles is Assembly, Maturation, Budding. During the assembly stage, the newly formed viral components come together inside the host cell. Following assembly, the maturation process begins which involves the protease enzyme cleaving the Gag polyprotein to form mature virus particles. Finally, the newly assembled and matured HIV particles bud off from the host cell carrying portions of the host cell membrane with them, which becomes the viral envelope.
The increase in the number of HIV particles is related to the progression of the disease by the gradual destruction of CD4 T-cells, which are crucial for a functional immune response. Over time, as more CD4 T-cells are destroyed by the virus, the immune system becomes compromised, leading to AIDS if treatment is not received.
Between three and six weeks after initial infection, there is typically a sharp increase in the number of viruses, known as viral load, and a corresponding drop in the number of CD4 lymphocytes. This acute infection period is often followed by a seroconversion, where the immune response stabilizes the situation but does not clear the infection.
Lastly, the development of AIDS symptoms can be delayed through antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART reduces the viral load, helping to preserve the immune system's function and delaying the progression to AIDS.