What is reverse transcription?

Reverse transcription is a process in molecular biology where RNA is used as a template to create complementary DNA (cDNA). This is the reverse of normal transcription, where DNA is transcribed into RNA. It is commonly used in retroviruses like HIV to integrate their genetic material into the host cell's genome, and in molecular biology research for techniques like RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) to amplify RNA sequences.