Studying for an exam?Are you stuck in bed with the flu and wondering what made you sick?They are both very different organisms with different qualities and can make you sick in similar ways.Learning these differences can help you stay informed about any medical treatments you're undergoing and give you a better understanding of the complex biology that's going on inside you all the time.You can learn how to tell the difference between the two by learning about them, but also by examining them through a microscope and discovering more about their makeup and functions.
Step 1: The basic differences can be learned.
The size, origins, and effects ofbacteria andviruses are different.Viruses are 10 to 100 times smaller thanbacteria.There are single-celled organisms.bacteria can survive without a cellular host because they have all the machinery to replicate themselvesViruses are only intracellular organisms, meaning that they live inside the cell.The host cell's genetic material can be changed by Viruses.Antibiotics can kill most of thebacteria, with the exception ofbacteria that have become resistant to the antibiotic.Misuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance.Antibiotics are becoming less effective.Gram-negativebacteria are resistant to antibiotics and can be killed.
Step 2: There are differences in reproduction.
A plant or animal needs a living host cell to grow.Mostbacteria can grow on non- living surfaces.bacteria have all the "machinery" needed for their growth and multiplication and reproduce asexually via a process called "binary fission."Viruses usually have information packaged in a membranous coat.They need more machinery to reproduce.The genetic material inside the virus is injected into the cell after it is attached to the surface.Viruses are basically information that floats around until they encounter a sufficient host.
Step 3: Determine if the organisms have a beneficial effect on the body.
It may seem hard to believe, but many tiny organisms live within our bodies.Most people have a 3:1 ratio of human cells to bacterial cells.Somebacteria are very important to our bodies, like making vitamins, breaking down waste, and making oxygen.The process of digestion is done by types ofbacteria called "gut flora."The body has a pH balance.While people are familiar with "good"bacteria, such as gut flora, there are also good viruses that cause cell death.A virus designed by researchers from Yale may be able to defeat brain tumors.Most viruses have not been proven to be beneficial to humans.They cause harm.
Step 4: Determine if the organisms meet the criteria for life.
Scientists agree thatbacteria are alive, even though there is no formal definition of life.Viruses are not dead, but they are definitely not living.Viruses have some characteristics of life, like having genetic material, evolving over time through natural selection, and being able to reproduce by creating multiple copies of themselves.Viruses don't have their own metabolism and need a host cell to reproduce.Viruses are not living.Viruses are not active when they have not invaded another person's cell.There are no biological processes within them.They can't move around on their own.They are very similar to the real thing.They can stay in this state for a long time.When the virus comes in contact with a cell that it can invade, it is able to attach itself to the cell and inject its genetic material into it.As it hijacks the cell to make copies of itself, it starts to show one important characteristic of life: the ability to move its genetic material into future generations, producing more organisms that are like itself.
Step 5: Discuss the causes of illnesses.
If you know what a disease is, it's easy to figure out whether or not you're being affected by a bug or disease.Pneumonia, food poisoning, strep throat, ear infections, and gonorrhea are some of the common illnesses caused by germs.There are many Viruses that cause AIDS.There are some illnesses that can be caused by either type of organisms.It is difficult to tell the difference between a bug and a virus if you don't know what your illness is.Infections can cause nausea, vomiting, elevated temperatures, fatigue, and general malaise.The best way to determine if you have a disease is to see a doctor.Your doctor will perform lab tests to find out what the problem is.One way to determine if your current antibiotic treatments are effective is to see if you have a virus.Antibiotics like penicillin will only help if you have a bug.Unless your doctor prescribes antibiotics, you should not take them.Anti-viral drugs can help manage or limit the symptoms of most viral infections and diseases.
Step 6: The chart shows the differences betweenbacteria andviruses.
These are the most important, even though there are more differences than here.
Step 7: Look for a cell.
The structure ofbacteria is more complex than the viruses.unicellularbacteria are what they are.Each bacterium is made up of one cell.The human body has trillions of cells.Viruses do not have any cells.Viruses have a structure called a capsid.The capsid doesn't have the features of a true cell, such as transport proteins, cytoplasm, and so on.If you see a cell through a microscope, you know it's not a virus.
Step 8: Check the size of the organisms.
One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a bacterium and a virus is to use a regular microscope.It is not a virus if you can see it.The average virus is 10 to 100 times smaller than run-of-the-millbacteria.They are so small that you can't see them under a microscope.You need a high-powered microscope to see viruses.Viruses are smaller thanbacteria.The biggest viruses are just as big as the smallest.The dimensions of the bacterium are one to several micrometers.Most viruses have sizes of less than 200 nanometers, which means you won't be able to see them with most everyday microscopes.
Step 9: The reproductive cycle of the organisms is monitored.
You can see organisms in your daily life.They don't need sex or genetic information to reproduce.This is not to say that the reproductive strategies of the two organisms are the same.Asexual reproduction is practiced bybacteria.A bacterium splits into two daughter cells when it reproduces.Each daughter cell gets a single copy of the genetic material.You can observe this process under a microscope.Each daughter cell will eventually divide into two more cells.Depending on the species ofbacteria and the conditions outside, they can grow very fast.Viruses can't reproduce on their own.They invade other cells and use the host's internal machinery to make new viruses.The invaded cell dies and the new viruses are released.