Viruses versus bacteria chart

Read more on myDr website. Read more on Better Health Channel website. Fever often occurs with a viral infection or with a bacterial infection. Normal body temperature is about 37 degrees C when measured by mouth. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the lining of the eye and eyelid caused by bacteria, viruses, chemicals or allergies.

Read more on SA Health website. Regardless of whether tonsillitis is caused by a virus or bacteria, the symptoms may include sore throat, pain with swallowing, and fever etc. Neutropenia is a blood condition characterised by low concentration of neutrophils. These are a type of white blood cell which fight infection.

Read more on HealthEngine website. Read more on WA Health website. Read more on myDr — Consumer Medicine Information website. Strep throat, otherwise known as group A strep, is a bacterial infection of the throat and tonsils. The bacteria that causes strep throat is called group A streptococcus. It is most common among school-aged children and teenagers between 5 and Read more on Ausmed Education website. With the global COVID pandemic having a severe impact on all aspects of society and the health of people worldwide, it is now more important than ever to update your knowledge on the spread and containment of infectious diseases, and what you can do to help break the chain of infection.

Gum disease occurs when the gum gingiva - the mucosal tissue surrounding and protecting the teeth - becomes infected and inflamed. Gum disease is usually caused by plaque, a sticky coating of bacteria that accumulates on the teeth along the gum line and causes irritation.

The common cold or upper respiratory tract infection is a highly prevalent viral infection that can be caused by over types of viruses including some strains of the coronavirus family.

It affects the nose, ears and throat. Otitis media is an umbrella term encompassing all types of inflammation and infection of the middle ear, which is the air-filled, membrane-lined cavity located behind the eardrum.

For enveloped viruses, the envelope is a glycoprotein layer. However, the envelope also consists of two lipid layers with protein molecules known as the lipoprotein bilayer. Based on studies, their envelope has been shown to originate from infected cells host cells. Here, new virus particles are wrapped in the envelope when they are released from the infected cell.

Over time, the viruses have been shown to add their own proteins to the envelope which allows them to survive and easily infect new cells With an envelope, they can easily fuse with the cell membrane of the host cell which allows them to easily enter the cell. Other components - there are a number of other components that can be found on the capsid, envelope, membrane, and cell wall that distinguish bacteria from viruses.

For instance, the surface of some bacteria consists of flagella , pili , or both. For the most part, these structures contribute to motility, adhesion, or attachment of the cell which may contribute to their pathogenicity. For instance, using pili, some bacteria are able to attach to the cell of the host and invade the cell. However, for free-living bacteria, flagella may be used to swim in aquatic environments.

Viruses, on the other hand, do not have flagella or pili. However, they may possess a tail sheath among other attachment proteins that allow them to attach to the surface proteins or structure e. For some bacteria, an outer capsule may be present known as the outer envelope.

As compared to the cell wall or the cytoplasmic membrane, this capsule also referred to as a slime layer is a polysaccharide layer that has been shown to help the organism develop resistance to various drugs. In addition, it protects the cell from desiccation thus allowing some bacteria to survive under harsh environmental conditions. Viruses, on the other hand, do not possess this structure.

In general, the structure of a virus is very simple, mostly consisting of the nucleic acid, the capsid, as well as the outer envelope for some viruses. Viruses also may contain an attachment structure that allows them to attach to the surface of the host cell.

As compared to viruses, bacteria contain a few organelles that perform different functions which allow the organisms to obtain energy from their surrounding, grow, and reproduce. For this reason, they are considered living organisms as they have in place various cellular mechanisms that allow them to grow and reproduce. Genetic material - Both bacteria and viruses have genetic material nucleic acid.

In bacterial cells, the genetic material is contained in a chromosome which is a strand of DNA. While they do not have a nucleus , the genetic material of these organisms is contained in a region generally known as the nucleoid. In addition to the nucleoid, bacteria also have a plasmid , which is an extrachromosomal molecule of DNA. For the most part, the plasmid exists as a circular, double-stranded DNA molecule that can replicate on its own.

Unlike bacteria, however, viruses do not have a plasmid extrachromosomal DNA. Ribosome - In addition to the genetic material, bacteria also have ribosomes composed of two subunits which are nucleoprotein particles involved in mRNA translation for protein synthesis.

Unlike the ribosome found in eukaryotic cells on the rough E. As such, they are freely distributed in the cytoplasm.

Unlike bacteria, viruses do not have ribosomes and thus rely on organelles or the host cell for protein synthesis. The cytoplasm contains a variety of substances including gases, waste material, and water among others.

In viruses, the cytoplasm may not be present. However, in general, they have a simple structure that is aimed at ensuring the successful transfer of their genetic material into the host cell for transcription and reproduction purposes. The other significant difference between bacteria and viruses is with regard to size. Although research studies have revealed that some viruses are very large in size e. Some of the smallest viruses may range from 20 to 30 nm in diameter e.

Bacteria are relatively larger, ranging between 0. Therefore, in general, smaller viruses can be over times smaller when compared to some bacteria. Because of their small size, some viruses are also capable of infecting bacteria. These viruses are commonly known as bacteriophages. By injecting their nucleic material into the bacteria, they are able to take over the reproductive machinery of the cell and make many copies of themselves.

Because of the differences in their general structures, bacteria and viruses vary significantly when it comes to various activities.

Replication - Replication refers to the process through which the DNA molecule is copied for the purposes of producing two identical copies. It does show characteristics of life such as having genes, evolving by natural selection and reproducing by creating multiple copies of themselves through self-assembly. But viruses don't have a cellular structure or their own metabolism; they need a host cell to reproduce.

Viruses inject their own DNA into the host; sometimes those new genes are useful to the host and become part of its genome. It should be noted that bacterial species such as rickettsia and chlamydia are considered living organisms despite the same limitation of not being able to reproduce without a host cell.

See also Wikipedia's page on the life properties of viruses. Share this comparison:. If you read this far, you should follow us:. Diffen LLC, n. Comparison chart Differences — Similarities —. Virus - Bacteria Differences. Follow Share Cite Authors. Share this comparison: If you read this far, you should follow us: "Bacteria vs Virus.

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