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This article was co-written by Mandpin S. Ziadie, MD. Dr. Ziadie is a licensed South Florida pathologist specializing in pathology and clinical practice. She earned her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 2004 and completed her study in Pediatric Pathology at Children’s Medical Center in 2010.
There are 17 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 78,466 times.
Are you studying for a biology exam? Stuck in bed with the flu and curious what kind of microbe is making you sick? Although both bacteria and viruses can make you sick in the same way, they are actually very different organisms with many different properties. Knowing those differences can help you understand the medical treatments you are receiving and help you better understand the complex organism that invades you frequently. You can tell the difference between bacteria and viruses not only by learning the basics of them but also by observing them through a microscope and discovering more about their formation and function. .
Steps
Understand the Difference
- Viruses are the smallest and simplest life forms; they are only 1/100 to 1/10th the size of bacteria.
- Bacteria are unicellular and can live inside or outside of other cells. They can survive without host cells. [2] X Source of Research Meanwhile, viruses are intracellular organisms, which means they infect a host cell and live within that cell. Viruses change the host cell’s genetic material from functioning normally to producing the virus itself.
- Antibiotics cannot kill viruses but can kill most bacteria unless the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. [3] X Research Sources Misuse or abuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics tend to be less effective against dangerous bacteria in the future. [4] X Credible Sources US Food and Drug Administration Go to Source Gram-negative bacteria are highly resistant to therapeutic antibiotics, but can be killed by some other antibiotics. [5] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source
- Bacteria have the necessary “machinery” (cell organelles) to grow and multiply and often reproduce asexually.
- In contrast, viruses often contain information – DNA or RNA, for example, surrounded by a protective coating of proteins. They need host cell organs to reproduce. The “legs” of the virus attach to the cell surface and the genetic material in the virus infects the cell. In other words, a virus is not really a “living” organism, but a genome containing information (DNA or RNA) that moves around until it meets a suitable host.
- For example, the majority of digestion is done by a type of bacteria called “gut bacteria”. These bacteria also help maintain the pH balance in the body. [9] X Research Source
- While we are familiar with the term “helpful bacteria” (like gut bacteria), there are also “helpful” viruses, such as phages, that work to “hijack” the cell organelles of bacteria. bacteria and destroy that cell. [10] X Research Source Researchers from Yale University have created a virus that can destroy brain tumors. [11] X Research Sources However, most viruses have not been shown to function beneficially in humans. They are usually just harmful.
- When it does not infect another cell’s organ, the virus becomes inactive. There is no biological process going on within them. They cannot exchange nutrients, create or excrete waste, or move on their own. In other words, they are very much like a lifeless substance. They can survive in such a “lifeless” state for long periods of time. [12] X Research Source
- When they come into contact with a cell that the virus can infect, they attach to that cell and a protein-soluble enzyme into the cell wall to inject genetic material into that cell. At this point, having hijacked the cell to make copies of itself, the virus begins to show one of the key features of life: the ability to pass genetic material into generations. later viruses, producing more organisms like them. [13] X Research Source
- Bacteria : Pneumonia, food poisoning (usually caused by E. cpi bacteria), meningitis, strep throat, ear infections, wound infections, gonorrhea. [14] X Research Source
- Viruses : flu, chickenpox, common cold, hepatitis B, rubella, SARS, measles, Ebpa, genital warts (HPV), herpes, rabies, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS).
- Note that some illnesses such as diarrhea and “measles” can be caused by either of these organisms.
- If you don’t know exactly what the disease is, it can be difficult to tell the difference between bacteria and viruses because it is difficult to distinguish the symptoms of each cause. Both bacteria and viruses cause dizziness, vomiting, fever, exhaustion, and general malaise. The best (and sometimes only) way to determine if you have a bacterial or viral infection is to see your doctor. Your doctor will do tests to see what type of infection you have.
- One way to determine if you have a viral or bacterial infection is to see if antibiotic treatment is working. Antibiotics such as penicillin are only effective for bacterial infections, and are contraindicated for viral infections. That’s why you shouldn’t take antibiotics unless your doctor prescribes them.
- Most illnesses and infections caused by viruses, including the common cold, have no cure, but antiviral medications are available to control and reduce symptoms and severity.
- Although there are many other differences, the differences listed in the table are the most important.
Creature | Size | Structure | Method of Reproduction | Treatment | Is there life? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bacteria | Larger (about 1000 nanometers) | One cell: peptidoglycan/ppysaccharide cell wall; membrane; ribosomes; DNA/RNA free movement | Asexual reproduction. DNA duplicates and reproduces by fission (split). | Antibiotic; antibacterial cleaners create a sterile environment | Have |
Virus | Smaller (20-400 nanometers) | No cells: simple protein structure; no cell wall or cell membrane; no ribosome, DNA/RNA protected in protein membrane | Infiltrate host cells, produce viral DNA/RNA copies; New viruses are generated from host cells. | Not yet. Vaccines can prevent disease; Symptoms can be treated. | Unknown; does not meet all the traditional standards of life. [16] X Research Source |
Microscopic Character Analysis
- In contrast, viruses have no cells . Viruses have a protein structure called a protein coat. [18] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source Despite containing the viral genetic material, the protein coat does not have the properties of a true cell, such as cell wall, carrier proteins, cytoskeleton. substances, organelles, etc. [19] X Research source Le, T. (2012). Microbiology. In First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2012. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.
- In other words, if you see cells through a microscope, you know you’re seeing a bacteria, not a virus.
- Bacteria are usually much larger than viruses. In fact, the virus of the maximum type is only equal to the smallest bacteria. [21] X Research Source
- Bacteria are typically one to several micrometers (1000+ nanometers) in size. [22] X Research Source In contrast, most viruses are smaller than 200 nanometers, which means you can’t see them with the microscope you use every day.
- Bacteria perform asexual reproduction. To reproduce, bacteria duplicate their DNA, stretch it out, and split into two daughter cells. Each daughter cell will have one copy of its DNA in a clonal (replicating) fashion. You can see that process happening under the microscope. [23] X Source of Research Each daughter cell will grow and eventually split into two new cells. Depending on the type of bacteria and the external conditions, bacteria can multiply very quickly that way. You can observe this process under a microscope and can distinguish a bacterium from a normal cell.
- Viruses, by contrast, cannot reproduce on their own. Instead, they infect other cells and use that cell’s internal organs to create new viruses. [24] X Research Sources Finally, many viruses are created that cause the invaded cell to burst and die, releasing many new viruses.
This article was co-written by Mandpin S. Ziadie, MD. Dr. Ziadie is a licensed South Florida pathologist specializing in pathology and clinical practice. She earned her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 2004 and completed her study in Pediatric Pathology at Children’s Medical Center in 2010.
There are 17 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 78,466 times.
Are you studying for a biology exam? Stuck in bed with the flu and curious what kind of microbe is making you sick? Although both bacteria and viruses can make you sick in the same way, they are actually very different organisms with many different properties. Knowing those differences can help you understand the medical treatments you are receiving and help you better understand the complex organism that invades you frequently. You can tell the difference between bacteria and viruses not only by learning the basics of them but also by observing them through a microscope and discovering more about their formation and function. .
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