HIV Life Cycle Video

This video shows the life cycle of HIV, which we know is a retrovirus. This video displays the entire life cycle, starting from attachment and moving on to entry, integration, synthesis of viral components, viral assembly, and release. I really liked the visuals in this video and felt that they enhanced the understanding of the life cycle of HIV. While the video did not explicitly state where each step started and stopped, I was able to track the various stages. There was also some interesting extra information in the video, such as how the virus uses GP120 surface glycoprotein to attach to a CD4 membrane protein as well as its corecepotor. The video then proceeds to explain how the viral envelope and the cell membrane fuse and allow the capsid to enter the cytosol. Overall, I felt that this video included all the information about the life cycle of a retrovirus that is present in the book and also added on to it by including extra information that is specific to HIV.