The structure of HIV

The infographic shows the structure of HIV. HIV is a spherical virus. It is made up of:  

• The envelope – this is the outer shell which is covered in spikes of glycoproteins  

• The glycoproteins - these spikes allow HIV to lock onto the CD4 receptors on CD4 cells (in our immune systems) and enter them  

• The matrix – this is a layer inside the envelope that contains the capsid  

• The capsid – this is a cone-shaped structure in the centre of the virus which contains the core of the virus, or nucleus  

• The enzymes and RNA – inside the capsid are two enzymes that HIV needs to replicate (the reverse transcriptase and integrase molecules) and two strands of RNA (where it stores its genetic information).