Solveeit Logo

Question

Question: What is reverse transcription? How does a single stranded RNA of viruses give rise to double strande...

What is reverse transcription? How does a single stranded RNA of viruses give rise to double stranded DNA?

Explanation

Solution

The ‘Central Dogma’ is the method via which the commands in DNA are transformed right into a protein product. The central dogma of molecular biology was proposed by Crick in 19581958. The dogma of molecular biology explains the genetic information, from DNA to RNA, to make a protein. Reverse transcription or Teminism is a process which in contrast to central dogma leads to the formation of DNA from RNA.

Complete answer:
Reverse transcription is also known as Teminism as it was discovered by Temin and Baltimore. In Reverse transcription, a DNA molecule is synthesized from the RNA template with the help of the enzyme reverse transcriptase. The enzyme involved in reverse transcription which is reverse transcriptase is an RNA dependent DNA polymerase, it uses RNA as a template to synthesise DNA.
The DNA formed after reverse transcription is known as complementary DNA commonly abbreviated as c-DNA. Reverse transcription or teminism is a property of retroviruses and some other organisms also show reverse transcription.
When a retrovirus says HIV having a single stranded RNA genome enters inside a cell it undergoes reverse transcription to produce a cDNA. The cDNA thus formed integrates into the host cell DNA which further makes more viral copies.

Note:
Retroviruses are placed in Class-VI of the Baltimore classification of viruses that make use of RNA as its genetic material. When a retrovirus infects a cell, it makes a DNA replica of its genome by reverse transcription this is inserted into the DNA of the host cell. There are plenty of one-of-a-kind retroviruses that motivate human illnesses which include a few kinds of most cancers and AIDS.