HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which is responsible for causing immunodeficiency syndrome. It has been previously known by several names, including the human lymphotropic virus type III, the -associated virus, and the lymphadenopathy virus. Regardless of its name, HIV is classified as a retrovirus. Retroviruses possess an RNA genome and a special enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This enzyme allows the virus to use its RNA as a template to create complementary DNA, which can then integrate into the host's DNA. Although American researcher Robert Gallo from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) claimed to have discovered HIV first, it is now widely recognized that French physician Luc Montagnier and his team at the Pasteur Institute were the ones who identified the virus in 1983-84.
