Basically, the HIV (virus) infects a range of the most basic cells the body uses in its immune response and defence against pathogenic and harmful molecules. If these cells are becoming impaired and targeted, their eventual efficacy will necessarily be reduced as they themselves are targeted, infected and rendered useless in such a way that they no longer become effective in the destruction of infectious molecules. The main immune cells that HIV infects are CD4 T cells, which are more colloquially known as 'Helper T cells', macrophages and microglial cells which are the macrophage-type cells present in the brain and spinal chord, but essentially with the same function. Helper T cells work not by cytotoxicity or 'the toxicity of a substance to a particular molecule' and i.e. work to inhibit its function or destroy it, but rather in the elicitation of the release of other more destructive cells such as 'Killer T cells'. Macrophages in short, work by engulfing the molecules in question within themselves, and 'dissolving' the foreign substances by digesting them within the internal endothelium of the cell (the cell boundary), commonly known as 'Phagocytosis'. HIV also has a relatively easy method for infection into these cells by a certain Chemokine (chemical involved in release of proteins within cells) CCR5 that allow it to cross into macrophages and 'Helper T cells' and reproduce extensively.....!!
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Basically, the HIV (virus) infects a range of the most basic cells the body uses in its immune response and defence against pathogenic and harmful molecules. If these cells are becoming impaired and targeted, their eventual efficacy will necessarily be reduced as they themselves are targeted, infected and rendered useless in such a way that they no longer become effective in the destruction of infectious molecules. The main immune cells that HIV infects are CD4 T cells, which are more colloquially known as 'Helper T cells', macrophages and microglial cells which are the macrophage-type cells present in the brain and spinal chord, but essentially with the same function. Helper T cells work not by cytotoxicity or 'the toxicity of a substance to a particular molecule' and i.e. work to inhibit its function or destroy it, but rather in the elicitation of the release of other more destructive cells such as 'Killer T cells'. Macrophages in short, work by engulfing the molecules in question within themselves, and 'dissolving' the foreign substances by digesting them within the internal endothelium of the cell (the cell boundary), commonly known as 'Phagocytosis'. HIV also has a relatively easy method for infection into these cells by a certain Chemokine (chemical involved in release of proteins within cells) CCR5 that allow it to cross into macrophages and 'Helper T cells' and reproduce extensively.....!!