The enormous genetic diversity of HIV has made it especially difficult to create a vaccine against the virus.This genetic diversity is largely the result of
A)its large variety of capsid proteins.
B)the great variety of HIV in the environment.
C)alternate splicing of exons.
D)the high error rate of reverse transcriptase.
E)the high sensitivity of the virus to UV radiation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The high error rate of reverse transcriptase, the enzyme responsible for replicating the virus's RNA genome into DNA, is a major contributor to the genetic diversity of HIV. This high mutation rate allows the virus to rapidly develop resistance to antiviral drugs and to evade the human immune system.

The Enormous Genetic Diversity of HIV Has Made It Especially