There is a lot of confusion about bacteria and viruses, and for good reason. Bacteria and viruses are not so black and white; the two have many similarities and areas of overlap. At the same time, bacteria and viruses and quite different and unique from one another. So today, we will explain what bacteria and viruses are, as well as their many similarities and differences.
What Is Bacteria?
Bacteria is the plural form, so it is used when talking about many microbes. Bacterium is a singular form of bacteria. Bacteria are living organisms made up of one cell (single-celled), and they do not have a nucleus in their cell, though humans and plants do.
Bacteria exist all over the world, and they have existed since the beginning of time. Bacteria existed before the dinosaurs, and they survived the ice age, so they can survive in all kinds of environments. Some bacteria can survive freezing cold temperatures, such as listeria, as well as extremely hot temperatures, such as botulinum which causes botulism (botulinum are heat-resistant).
The genetic makeup of bacteria is simpler than that of humans since humans are multicellular; bacteria are single-celled/unicellular. A human cell has more components that make it up compared to bacteria, which only has a few components that make up the cell. Bacteria have a flagellum (a tail that helps them swim), DNA, a cell membrane and a cell wall to protect the DNA, ribosomes (where proteins are made) surrounding the DNA, pilus hairs, and the whole capsule which is the cell.
Bacteria, like humans and plants, contain both DNA and RNA, which impact their genes. RNA arranges our DNA and builds the proteins that make it up. In general, humans and bacteria are living creatures that depend on DNA for their genetic makeup, but viruses are different. Viruses depend on either DNA or RNA for their genetic makeup, not usually both, though viruses that cause tumors in animals, leuko viruses (leukemia) and rous viruses (sarcoma), do contain both DNA and RNA.
What Are Viruses?
Viruses are parasitic organisms that contain either RNA or DNA for their genetic makeup. Viruses need a host to live off of in order to reproduce. This is how viruses are different from bacteria. Both bacteria and viruses invade their host, but bacteria can reproduce on their own as soon as they have a suitable environment or host. Viruses need your cells to reproduce. Once viruses get into your body, they invade your cells and override, rearrange, and take over your DNA; this can kill your cells, which is why viruses can make your body very weak very fast.
In terms of size, viruses are much smaller than bacteria.
Viruses are brilliant in terms of their survival and their ability to adapt. Viruses can multiply far faster than bacteria, which allows them to quickly overwhelm and take over your system. Thus, when you get exposed to a virus, you must medicate immediately because every hour it reproduces, thousands of viruses can be produced.
“The reproductive cycle of viruses ranges from 8 hrs (picornaviruses) to more than 72 hrs (some herpesviruses). The virus yields per cell range from more than 100,000 poliovirus particles to several thousand poxvirus particles” (Roizman B. Multiplication. In: Baron S, editor. Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996. Chapter 42. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8181/).
Similarities and Differences Between Bacteria and Viruses
*Bacteria and viruses are parasitic in nature; they invade a host, live in the host, take needed nutrients from their host, and harm or kill their host. So bacteria and viruses are parasites.
*Both bacteria and viruses can be airborne.
*Both bacteria and viruses can spread through mucus membranes, including the eyes, nose (pneumonia), mouth, and ears (staphylococcus).
*Some bacterial infections develop flu-like symptoms, such as pneumonia, whooping cough/pertussis, and bronchitis.
*Bacteria and viruses can live in food and water. “Bacteria (such as shigella, escherichia coli, vibrio, and salmonella), viruses (such as Norwalk virus and rotaviruses), and protozoans (such as entamoeba, giardia, and cryptosporidium) may be found in water” (“Microorganisms in Drinking Water”, 1997, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Consumer and Environmental Health Services).
Hepatitis, norovirus, adenovirus, and even enterovirus can live on food as well, so if anyone with a virus works over food without a mask, the food can be infected with their virus, especially raw or undercooked food.
*Both bacteria and viruses can survive freezing, as well as high heat temperatures.
*Bacteria are larger in size than viruses.
*The genetic makeup for bacteria comes from DNA and RNA (the same as humans), but in viruses, it comes from either DNA or RNA.
*Viruses have no nucleus/nuclei in their cells, but bacteria do.
*There are living and non-living organisms. Bacteria are considered to be living things, but viruses are not considered to be living. For an organism to be considered living, it must: use energy to function, have one or more cells, interact with its environment, grow and reproduce, and maintain stability within its body or internal structure. Viruses do all of these things except maintain stability. Viruses are unstable, and they are unable to do anything such as reproduce without a host cell. Viruses can live in their environment, but they cannot grow or change without a host.
*Bacteria can be treated, but even today, traditional medicine has not found a cure for viruses. Natural medicine has found ways to help reduce viral symptoms and their spread, such as the use of oxygen therapy, but both traditional and homeopathic medicine find bacteria to be easier to fight than viruses. Viruses are a monster in their own right.
*In general, bacteria reproduce much slower than viruses, so you have more time to fight bacteria before they overwhelm your system.
Conclusion/Final Thoughts
Bacteria and viruses may be small, but they are powerful, and though bacteria and viruses are considered to be quite different, they have numerous similarities. It is not always obvious if someone has a bacterial infection or a viral infection since bacteria and viruses overlap in many ways. Fortunately, with the advancement of medical testing (though it is still not perfect and misdiagnosis still occurs), determining what kind of illness you have is possible, and this knowledge will help you to treat it and understand how you got it.
Understanding bacteria and viruses will help you avoid contamination, protect your body and health, and bring a new understanding of why coronavirus has taken the world by storm.
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