Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Reverse transcriptase: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As RNA-directed DNA polymerase

Photos

Diagram illustrating the process of retrovirus infection and reverse transcription, showing a retrovirus entering a host cell, releasing viral RNA, reverse transcriptase converting RNA to DNA, integration into the host genome, transcription of new viral RNA, assembly of new virions, and budding from the cell.
Diagram showing how acutely and slowly transforming retroviruses can cause cancer by infecting normal cells, integrating viral genes, and triggering neoplastic transformation into cancer cells.
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Key People

David Baltimore, 2011
David Baltimore
American virologist
default image
Howard Martin Temin
American virologist