Is the lipid membrane of HIV a phospholipid bilayer because for example when HIV splits from the host cell it removed a portion of the bilayer membrane, if so so why does the membrane have a different name?
Hi, you are right that the virus particle, after using the host material to make a double-stranded DNA molecule from its inherent RNA using reverse transcriptase (that is why the group of viruses that HIV belongs to are called retroviruses [retro = behind OR backwards [normally RNA is transcribed from DNA]: lentivirus is the HIV sub-group] and then incorporates this DNA into the host genome using integrase.
When it breaks off from the host cell pulling a covering of cell membrane with it as it extrudes itself [just like other viruses], the layer that forms its outside is a phospholipid bilayer, as you correctly say; however, the gag and pol genes of the virus (HIV has only 9 genes) code for certain proteins, some of which are added like, to the membrane, hence the term glycoprotein is a name you might have come across.
Hi, you are right that the virus particle, after using the host material to make a double-stranded DNA molecule from its inherent RNA using reverse transcriptase (that is why the group of viruses that HIV belongs to are called retroviruses [retro = behind OR backwards [normally RNA is transcribed from DNA]: lentivirus is the HIV sub-group] and then incorporates this DNA into the host genome using integrase.
When it breaks off from the host cell pulling a covering of cell membrane with it as it extrudes itself [just like other viruses], the layer that forms its outside is a phospholipid bilayer, as you correctly say; however, the gag and pol genes of the virus (HIV has only 9 genes) code for certain proteins, some of which are added like, to the membrane, hence the term glycoprotein is a name you might have come across.
Although it's derived from the host cell membrane, compared to the plasma membrane of the producing host cell, the lipid bilayer of the HIV particle has a slightly different composition e.g. it is enriched with certain kinds of lipid. In addition, it contains HIV-specific glycoproteins. To describe it as a "lipid bilayer" isn't wrong, but the term "lipid envelope" is more conventionally used to refer to this part of the virus structure as a whole.