Final answer:
True, retroviruses such as HIV create double-stranded DNA from their single-stranded RNA genome through a process called reverse transcription, using reverse transcriptase, making them unique among viruses.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, retroviruses do indeed make a double-stranded DNA copy of their single-stranded RNA genome. This is a unique feature of retroviruses like HIV, where after entry into a host cell, they synthesize DNA using reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that these viruses carry with them. Initially, the viral RNA serves as a template for synthesizing a complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA).
This ssDNA is then converted into double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), which is known as the provirus. The provirus can integrate itself into the host's genomic DNA, establishing a latent infection, and can instruct the cell's machinery to produce new viruses. This process is called reverse transcription and is an exception to the central dogma, which typically involves DNA-making RNA, not RNA-making DNA.