• Question: What's the difference between bacteria and virus.

    Asked by huntsop to Mel, Jill, Jen on 6 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Jill Magee

      Jill Magee answered on 6 Mar 2013:

      Viruses are the smallest and simplest life form known to scientists and can be up to 100 times smaller than bacteria. The main difference between viruses and bacteria is that viruses must have a living host (such as a plant or animal) to multiply, while most bacteria can grow on non-living surfaces. Bacteria are intercellular organisms and so live in between cells whereas viruses are intracellular organisms and so live inside a cell. A virus is able to change the cell’s genetic material so the cell can’t function normally.

    • Photo: Jennifer Paxton

      Jennifer Paxton answered on 6 Mar 2013:

      OK, well infections with bacteria and viruses can both make us feel unwell but you’re right, there are difference between them.

      Bacteria are tiny little single cells that have a cell wall and a tail that helps them swim. You can see bacteria under a microscope, and they are usually wriggling away (ewww!) Viruses are even smaller than bacteria and you cant see these under a microscope.

      The other differences are that bacteria don’t need to be inside cells to grow and they can live anywhere that allows them to grow (so they can be found in the body, on kitchen surfaces, door handles…..) Viruses actually need to be able to get inside a cell and use the cell’s own machinery to multiply and cause an infection.

      You’ve probably heard of antibiotics? These will only kill bacteria, not viruses, so you will only get these from the doctor if you have a bacterial infection.

      Also, we often think of bacteria as bad but certain types of bacteria are actually very good for us! We have lots of bacteria in the body and they help to keep us healthy (like in the gut, for example). Bacteria is also used in the preparation of some dairy foods, like cheese, milk and butter.

      So, not all bacteria is bad….but I’m not sure if there are actually any good viruses!

    • Photo: Melissa Brereton

      Melissa Brereton answered on 7 Mar 2013:

      Lets compare bacteria and viruses to babies and grown ups. A virus cannot survive on its own as it needs to be inside another living organism to grow- a bit like a baby that needs to grow inside its mum before it is born. Whereas bacteria can live quite happily on their own just like adults! Viruses are also a lot smaller than bacteria just like the difference in size between babies and adults!

      We always think of bacteria and viruses as bad things that make us sick. When we go to the doctor with a cold we hope they will give us some medicines to make us better. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics but this will only treat diseases caused by a bacteria- they have no effect on viruses. For a disease caused by a virus, antiviral drugs are given but they are usually saved for serious infections like HIV.

      Another difference between bacteria and viruses is that bacteria can also be good for you! We have lots and lots of different types of bacteria in our body particularly in our stomach where they help break down our food. They are also found in our mouth but they can cause us bad breath! Bacteria are also used to make different types of food like yoghurt and cheese!

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