NURS 6501: Final Exam: Please contact Your Favorite Professor for help with NURS 6501: Final Exam or any other assignment. Email: professorrobertphd@gmail.com What is the enzyme responsible for making a DNA copy of the HIV virus once it enters a target cell? Group of answer choices

• Ribosome
• Reverse transcriptase
• Protease
• Integrase

The correct answer is: Reverse transcriptase   Explanation: Once HIV enters a host cell, it must convert its single-stranded RNA genome into double-stranded DNA to integrate into the host's chromosomes. The enzyme responsible for this step is:

• Reverse transcriptase – Converts viral RNA into DNA (a process called reverse transcription).

Why not the others?

• Ribosome: Host cell machinery for protein synthesis, not viral enzyme.
• Protease: Cleaves viral polyproteins into functional proteins during maturation.
• Integrase: Inserts viral DNA into the host genome (works after reverse transcription).

Thus, reverse transcriptase is the key enzyme for creating a DNA copy of HIV's RNA.