Viruses and bacteria are very different
and they can both be either beneficial or harmful. A virus is both
living and non-living, and is incapable of reproducing on its own,
while bacteria are complete, living organisms that can
self-replicate. Bacteria are usually much larger, come in a wider
variety of shapes, and serve in more beneficial roles than a virus.
Infections and illnesses can be viral or bacterial. We often hear
the terms, and we might even have a vague idea of what they mean,
but a complete understanding of the difference between the two can
help you treat the illnesses they cause.
Viruses are tiny, microscopic things that exist in two different
states. When they are floating in the air or lying on a table
waiting for someone to come by and inhale them, they are non-living
and inert. Once they are absorbed into a living host, they activate.
A virus cannot replicate on its own, and requires a host cell to
attach itself to in order to multiply. Some microbiologists classify
viruses as microorganisms, while others don't because they are
"nonliving" and describe viruses as microscopic infective agents.
After contacting a host cell, a virus will insert genetic material
into the host and take over that host's functions. The infected cell
continues to reproduce, but it reproduces more viral protein and
genetic material instead of its usual products. It is this process
that earns viruses the classification of "parasite".
However, a virus can also be useful, because a virus will naturally
attach itself to a healthy living cell, a virus can be used as a
delivery system when genetic material needs to be transferred to a
human body. Injecting a virus with genetic material then releasing
it into the body can result in the delivery and replication of
cells. This type of gene therapy is still experimental, but showing
progress. Some types of viruses can also target and destroy some
types of bacteria, like E. coli.
Bacteria are tiny, living organisms that are not classified as
either plant or animal. As such, they don’t rely on hosts in order
to reproduce, and can exist, grow, and multiply outside of a living
body. Few know that many bacteria not only coexist with us all the
time, but help us do an array of useful things, like make vitamins,
break down garbage, and maintain our atmosphere.
Bacteria consist of a single cell and have been found living in
temperatures above the boiling point and in freezing cold. They
consume everything from sugar and starch to sunlight, sulfur, and
iron. There is a species of bacteria that can withstand blasts of
radiation 1,000 times greater than would kill a human being. A gram
of soil typically contains about 40 million bacterial cells. A
milliliter of fresh water usually holds about one million bacterial
cells.
A single bacterium contains more than a virus and can reproduce on
its own. That means a cell wall, genetic material, and an appendage
to propel itself. It’s different from plant and animal cells,
however, as there’s no nucleus to contain the genetic material.
When magnified, a virus appears round. Bacteria can be a number of
different shapes, including the ball-shaped, rod-shaped, and spiral.
Within each general group of shape types, there is a wide variety
that separates bacteria even further.
Because of their simplicity, a virus can be 10,000 times smaller
than a bacterium. Examples of both can be found just about anywhere
on Earth, in any environment.
Determining whether an illness is caused by bacteria or a virus
determines how it is treated. Bacteria are vulnerable to
antibiotics, while anti-viral agents are required to kill a virus,
and vaccinations can help prevent them from infecting a body.