Difference Between

Bacteria vs Viruses

A vast majority of people are of the view that both bacteria and viruses are germs that cause harm to human beings. They think that viruses and bacteria belong to same category that causes infections to us. It is a wrong perception however. Bacteria and viruses are two very different infectious agents and it is extremely important for us to know their features to be able to ward off infections and to remain healthy. This article will explain the features of both bacteria and viruses to make us better prepared in every sense of the word.

Bacteria are unicellular organisms and are found in many shapes and sizes. On the other hand viruses are not living things and have no cells. Viruses are between living and non living things as though they can evolve and have genes, they do not metabolize nutrients, produce and excrete wastes, and cannot move around on their own.

Bacteria contain RNA and DNA in their cell that contain genetic code. They can live independently and can reproduce. Viruses on the other hand are intracellular organisms that require a living host such as a plant or an animal to multiply. They penetrate the cells of a host and live inside the cells. They change the genetic code of the cells of the host that starts to produce the virus. When enough baby viruses are produced by the cell, the cell bursts and the viruses penetrate into other cells of the host. Thus it can be said that viruses are not living things. They only contain RNA and DNA and proteins that start to act on the information stored when virus finds a host cell. Being living things, bacteria can survive different environments and even reproduce on their own.

The most amazing fact is that out of countless types of bacteria, most are harmless for human beings. In fact, a vast majority of bacteria are in fact beneficial to us as they break organic matter and kill parasites. Only a few of the bacteria are considered harmful for human beings. However, all viruses are harmful and the only way to remain healthy is to prevent viruses from entering our bodies. Harmful bacteria can be killed using antibiotics whereas it is very difficult to destroy viruses. Anti viral vaccines can slow down reproduction of viruses but cannot destroy them altogether.

Bacteria are several millimeters long and in general viruses are 10-100 times smaller than bacteria. There are some bacteria that are beneficial to us such as those residing in our gut. On the other hand, viruses are only harmful.