Bacteria and viruses are the main causes of illness in living things. Many people confuse these two microbes and just generally refer to them as “germs”. Each of them are extensively different, from their structure, size, and functions. Let’s take a look at what makes both bacteria and viruses so unique.
All About Viruses
1. Basics
Viruses are very simple and small microbes that contain DNA or RNA, which is genetic material. Viruses are in most senses of the word, not alive, but when they hitch onto something like an animal or plant, they burst into action. They exist all over the world and on just about every surface and can cause many illnesses and even some diseases.
2. Mission
Viruses only exist to reproduce. The only way they can reproduce is if they have a suitable host cell. After coming in contact with a host the virus injects it’s genetic material and takes over the host’s functions. The cell will then continue to reproduce more viral protein instead of performing it’s natural functions. This is what earns viruses the title of “parasite”.
3. Common Viruses
Here is a list of some common viruses
Chicken Pox: Caused by varicella zoster virus and is highly contagious.
Measles: The measles virus only infected humans and spreads through respiratory secretion.
Rabies: Rabies virus causes a fatal disease in both humans and animals. The virus is spread through the saliva of animals.
Influenza: Commonly known as the flu, the influenza viruses are found in humans and animals and are very contagious.
West Nile: The west nile virus is found in tropical climates and is spread through infected mosquito s.
Ebola: The ebola virus causes coagulation problems and spreads through bodily fluids.
4. Treatment
Viruses are very hard to treat. This is because the virus lives within the body’s cells, which gives them protection against medications. There are only a few antiviral medications that are available to treat viruses, and only very specific viruses can be treated effectively.
Information About Bacteria
1. Overview
Bacteria are complex, single celled creatures. There are countless different types of bacteria, some good and some bad. Bacteria can exist on non living things, such as doorknobs, in water, and on any surface. The majority of bacteria are harmless, and some even help our bodies do basic functions. Less than one percent of bacteria actually cause disease or illness in humans.
2. Structure
Bacteria are only visible with a microscope and cannot be viewed by the naked eye. There are many different shapes and sizes of bacteria including rod shaped, helices, and spherical bacteria. However, even though their shape may differ their cellular structure does not. They have an outer cell wall, this is what gives them their shapes. Underneath the outer cell wall there is a fluid cell membrane which the cytoplasm is enclosed in.
3. The Good and The Bad
The Good
There are many essential bacteria that break down organic compounds. Without these we would have no soil to grow plants and food. Many bacteria also aid in the digestion process, breaking down certain types of food and regulating other things in our body.
The Bad
Just like there are good and bad people, there are good and bad bacteria. The bacteria that can cause diseases are known as pathogenic. In order for them to cause disease they much get into the cells of an organism. Poor hygiene and bad water conditions are the number one reason that illness or disease is caused by bacteria.
4. Treatment
Bacteria can be effectively treated with the use of antibiotics such as penicillin. The odd thing about bacteria is that it can adapt and become resistant to antibiotics over time. Antibiotics can also kill the good bacteria present in our body, which is why side effects like diarrhea and yeast infections are common with the use of them.
Differences Between Viruses and Bacteria
1. Size
One large aesthetic difference between viruses and bacteria is their size. Viruses are 10 to 100 times smaller than even the smallest of bacteria.
2. Functions
While there are both good and bad bacteria there is only one kind of virus, bad. No viruses perform an form of essential functions and often only cause illness in living things. Bacteria however do perform essential functions like the break down of vitamins in our body.
3. It’s Alive
A very big difference between viruses and bacteria is that bacteria are living organisms. Viruses are on the fence between living and not living, they only become active once they latch onto a living host.
4. Treatment
Very few antiviral drugs are in existence today. This is because the virus inserts itself into the healthy cells. This makes it very difficult to treat. Bacteria on the other hand can be treated very quickly and effectively with the use of antibiotics.