What is the life cycle of a retrovirus?

The life cycle of a retrovirus involves several key steps. First, the virus enters a host cell through fusion with the cell membrane and releases its RNA genome and enzymes into the cytoplasm. The viral RNA is then reverse-transcribed into DNA by the enzyme reverse transcriptase, after which the DNA integrates into the host cell's genome. Once integrated, the viral DNA can be transcribed and translated to produce new viral proteins, culminating in the assembly and budding of new viral particles from the host cell, which can then infect other cells.