What is the main difference between a virus and bacteria

What's the difference between a bacterial infection and a viral infection? Answer From Pritish K. Tosh, M. Thank you for subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Show references Antimicrobial drug resistance. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Accessed Sept. Questions about bacteria, viruses, and antibiotics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed July 11, Antimicrobial resistance. World Health Organization. See also Antibiotic use in agriculture Antibiotics: Are you misusing them? Site search Search. Site search Search Menu.

In our oceans, there are 10 billion times more bacteria than there are stars in the universe. The millions of viruses in the world laid end to end would stretch for million light years. Bacteria are free-living cells that can live inside or outside a body. Bacteria reproduce mainly by binary fission Bacteria reproduce mainly by binary fission—replicating their DNA so they have two copies on opposite sides of the cell, then growing a new cell wall down the middle to produce two daughter cells.

Viruses are a non-living collection of molecules that need a host to survive. Why is it so important to tell the difference? The goal is for quick tests to be available in the GP surgery. Taking advantage of these molecular powerhouses Researchers are re-engineering the lethal design of bacteria and viruses to find ways to stop their infectious cycles.

Traditionally vaccines are weak or inactivated forms of the virus. This method is usually safer and quicker than using live or inactivated virus. Bacterial and viral infections are often related While bacterial and viral infections are different, they are often related. Feature story. New study starves link between gut microbiome and autism 12 November Ideas grant sparks new research into birth defects 9 November Emergency Phone: List of Partners vendors.

Share Flipboard Email. By Regina Bailey Regina Bailey. Regina Bailey is a board-certified registered nurse, science writer and educator. Learn about our Editorial Process. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format.

Bailey, Regina. Differences Between Bacteria and Viruses. They are used in the sexual reproduction of bacteria, which is known as conjugation. The entire cell is covered by glycocalyx which forms the capsule.

Some genera of gram-positive bacteria form a resistant, dormant structures called endospores. Endospores contain little cytoplasm, DNA and ribosomes, covered by a cortex.

They are resistant to radiation, detergents, disinfectants, heat, freezing, pressure and desiccation. Depending on the carbon source, bacteria can be divided into two groups: heterotrophs and autotrophs. The carbon source is organic compounds in heterotrophs whereas the carbon source is carbon dioxide in autotrophs.

Depending on the energy source, bacteria can be divided into three groups: phototrophs, lithotrophs or organotrophs. A virus is a particle considered as non-living form. Viruses show neither respiration nor metabolism. Usually, viruses are infectious agents, requiring a host for their replication.

They infect all life forms including animals, plants, bacteria and archaea. Viruses can be found in almost every ecosystem on the Earth. Thus, they are the most abundant biological entity type. The study of viruses is called virology. Viruses can be visualized by negative staining. The complete virus particle is referred to as the virion.

Virion consists of genetic material enclosed by a protective protein coat called as the capsid. The capsid is formed by identical protein units called capsomeres. The capsid proteins are encoded by the viral genome. The virion consists of a cell membrane derived from the host cell called the lipid envelope. Viral nucleic acid is associated with nucleoproteins.

Viral capsid proteins and nucleoproteins are collectively called nucleocapsid. An enormous structural diversity in the genome is found in viruses when compared to the diversity of plants or animals. Most viruses contain RNA genomes. Single-stranded RNA genomes can be found in plant viruses. Double-stranded DNA genomes can be found in bacteriophages.