What is the difference between a bacterium and a virus?

Question

The other day, someone asked me during a class discussion what the real difference is between bacteria and viruses. I remembered reading a detailed comparison in a microbiology textbook, and it clarified so much. From their size and structure to how they reproduce and cause disease, understanding these differences really helps make sense of how infections are treated differently and why antibiotics don’t work on viruses.

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Alicia 2025-06-12T18:50:59+00:00 1 Answer 6 views
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  1. fleming
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    2025-07-13T14:57:54+00:00
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    Size and structure

    • Bacteria: Living cells with cytoplasm, ribosomes and a plasma membrane, usually 0.5‑5 μm in size.
    • Viruses: Tiny particles (20‑300 nm) made of nucleic acid plus a protein coat, sometimes a lipid envelope; no cytoplasm or ribosomes.

    Metabolism

    Bacteria make their own ATP and biomolecules. A virus is metabolically inert outside a host cell.

    Reproduction

    Bacteria divide by binary fission on suitable media. Viruses must enter a host cell and hijack its machinery, then new virions assemble from parts.

    Genetic material

    Bacteria always carry double‑stranded DNA (often circular). Viruses can have DNA or RNA, single‑ or double‑stranded, linear or segmented.

    Treatment

    Antibiotics target bacterial cell wall, ribosome or DNA gyrase, so they do nothing to viruses. Antivirals are designed to block viral enzymes or entry steps.

    Bottom line

    Bacteria are independent prokaryotic cells. Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, basically genetic material in a protein shell. Thats the key difference.

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