What is the difference between bacteria and virus?

What is the difference between bacteria and virus?

We have all heard of bacteria and viruses, which are considerably different from each other. Bacteria are unicellular microscopic organisms. Some of them are harmful while some are symbiotic. Viruses are ultra-microscopic parasites that cause disease. Some differences between them are:

1. Bacteria are single celled organisms without a nucleus, but have a have a cell wall, nucleoid, ribosome, cytoplasm, and flagellum that helps it move. Viruses on the other hand, are not a cell and do not have the parts of a cell.
2. A virus is the plainest of all life forms; it is also the smallest known microbes. Their size is one-tenth to one hundredth of bacteria.
3. The main distinction between the two is that viruses need a live host for multiplication, while bacteria are able to grow on non-living surfaces.
4. Viruses are dead, not alive, whereas bacteria are living organisms, not dead.
5. Another difference between them is that bacteria are inter-cellular life form, which means that they can live outside of cells. Viruses are parasitic, inter-cellular life forms, because they penetrate the host cell and live inside it. They alter the genetic material of the host cell so that instead of performing its usual functions, its resources are harnessed for the reproduction of the virus itself.
6. Although bacteria cause us harm, there are some bacteria that are useful, too. But all viruses are harmful. Bacteria can be destroyed by antibiotics, but not virus. Some viruses can be prevented by vaccines.
7. Diseases such as influenza and acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are caused by virus. Some bacterial diseases are pneumonia, diarrhea, and sore throat.

Find out Yourself:

1. Some bacteria are harmful, while some are useful to us. Is there any useful virus?
2. How many types of virus are there?
3. 3. Recently there has been a virus very much in the news, for causing the dreaded ‘swine flu’. Can you name the virus?

Useful links:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_virus_and_bacteria

http://www.search.pro/results.php?q=9+what+is+the+difference+between+bacteria+and+virus&type=web&rs=1&_as=412&sx_kw=9+what+is+the+difference+between+bacteria+and+virus&_ass=40615&sx_mkw=9+what+is+the+difference+between+bacteria+and+virus&sx_v=0.0575426497278&vw=bd2061c1431dc7670b6d8c3644bd7248

http://www.wikihow.com/Know-the-Difference-Between-Bacteria-and-Viruses