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

    Asked by yooda to Bob, Katie, Nisha, Sallie, Vee on 28 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Vee Mitchell

      Vee Mitchell answered on 28 Jun 2012:

      Bacteria are a single cell organism and so has a cell wall and some the other components that your own cells have. Viruses on the other hand are much much smaller and are really just a bag made of protein with a load of DNA (or RNA) inside. Bacteria can reproduce by cell division whereas a virus invades a cell and uses that cells ability to make DNA (or RNA) to copy itself over and over.
      Bacteria can be killed by antibiotics whereas a virus can not, which is why your doctor won’t give you antibiotics if you have a cold.

    • Photo: Katie McDonald

      Katie McDonald answered on 28 Jun 2012:

      Yes, what Vee said! Bacteria are cells that can live on their own and have processes to absorb and excrete nutrients. Just like people but on a way smaller scale. Viruses aren’t actually alive though – they’re just proteins which invade cells and force them to make more viruses! Viruses sometimes invade bacteria too, which should give you an idea of the size difference.

    • Photo: Bob Bonwick

      Bob Bonwick answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      Ok I can’t add to anything Vee or Katie have said.

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