Facts

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HIV is shaped like a sphere.  It is approximately one ten thousandth of a millimeter across.  The viral envelope is composed of lipids embedded with proteins taken from the host cell, as well as with an HIV protein.  The viral core is made up of a capsid - composed of proteins - which contains two strands of RNA. These strands contain the nine HIV genes.  The capsid also contains the enzymes reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease, which are significant during the virus's life cycle.