Page 128 - The Miracle in the Immune System

126 THE MIRACLE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

the AIDS virus understands that the T cells are regard-
ed as the "brains" of the defence system, it will be de-
stroyed by the existing system immediately upon
entering the human body. However, it is impossible for
the AIDS virus to conduct any form of intelligence sur-
veillance prior to entering the human body. How then
has the AIDS virus developed this strategy?
This is only the first of many amazing skills mastered
by the AIDS virus.
At the second stage, the virus has to attach itself to
the cells which it has set as a target for itself. This pro-
cedure is not at all difficult for the AIDS virus. In fact, it
attaches to these cells as a key fits into its lock.
At the third stage, the HIV virus undergoes a series
of miraculous processes, which will ensure its longevity.
The HIV virus is a retrovirus. This means that its ge-
netic make-up contains solely RNA and no DNA. But a
retrovirus needs DNA to remain alive. To provide this,
it has recourse to a very interesting method: it uses the
nucleic acids of its host cell and converts its RNA into
DNA by means of an en-
zyme called "the reverse
transcriptase", meaning it
will reverse the process.
Then it places this DNA
in the DNA found in the
nucleus of its host cell.
The inheritance material
of the virus has now be-
come the inheritance ma-
An AIDS virus (orange)
attempting to enter a T
cell by piercing the cell
membrane.