What is the Function of Reverse Transcriptase in Retroviruses

Question

What is the function of reverse transcriptase in retroviruses?
A) It hydrolyzes the host cell's DNA.
B) It uses viral RNA as a template for DNA synthesis.
C) It converts host cell RNA into viral DNA.
D) It translates viral RNA into proteins.
E) It uses viral RNA as a template for making complementary RNA strands.

Accepted Answer

Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that converts viral RNA into DNA. This is a unique feature of retroviruses, which have RNA genomes but replicate via a DNA intermediate. The enzyme uses the viral RNA as a template for synthesizing a complementary DNA strand, which is then used to produce double-stranded DNA that can integrate into the host cell's genome.