Bacteria are single-celled organisms with complete RNA and DNA genetic codes, while viruses are sections of RNA or DNA covered in a protein shell. Bacteria can self-reproduce, while viruses need a living host. Antibiotics can kill bacteria, but antiviral drugs work by blocking a virus’s destructive methods. Most bacteria are beneficial or harmless, while viruses serve no beneficial purpose. Scientists are still trying to understand viruses to develop successful vaccines.
There are a number of differences between a virus and a bacterium, or more appropriately viruses and bacteria, including their relative sizes, methods of reproduction, and resistance to medical intervention. Bacterium, the singular form of the word bacteria, is a single-celled living organism, with complete sets of both ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) genetic codes. A virus is little more than a section of RNA or DNA covered in a protein shell. A bacterium, therefore, is at least a hundred times larger than a typical virus.
One of the main differences between viruses and bacteria is the method of reproduction. A bacterium is a completely self-contained, self-reproducing unit. When the time is right, a bacterium will split its genetic material DNA and RNA in two. Separate cell walls will form around these two new bacteria, and this process will continue until thousands or millions of bacteria have formed. This is how strains of bacteria survive in almost every environment on Earth, including non-living surfaces like rocks or plastics.
A virus, on the other hand, cannot reproduce without a living host. A virus can lie dormant for thousands of years before finally making contact with a suitable host. Once a virus enters a host’s body, it uses leg-like appendages to attach itself to a cell and a spike or chemical coating to penetrate the cell wall.
Once inside a living cell, a virus replaces the cell’s original DNA or RNA commands with its own genetic instructions. These instructions are usually for making as many copies of the virus as possible. Once the single cell has outlived its usefulness, it explodes and sends thousands of copies of the original virus to other unsuspecting cells.
Ninety-nine percent of all known bacteria are considered beneficial to humans, or at least harmless. They spend their days breaking down organic matter and destroying harmful pests. The small percentage of bacteria considered harmful to the human body, such as strep and E. coli, still perform the same functions as their less toxic bacterial brothers.
The bacteria feed on the tissues of the human body and excrete toxins and acids. It is these irritating toxins and acids that cause many of the problems associated with bacterial infection. If the bacteria can be killed with antibiotics, any leftover infections should clear up quickly.
Most viruses, on the other hand, serve no beneficial purpose. Their only mission in life is to create more viruses to ensure the survival of the strain. The deadly effect a virus has on its host is purely accidental.
When a virus enters the human body, it searches for an acceptable host cell and captures it without warning. Once the cell bursts, thousands of new viruses repeat the process on other healthy cells. Once the body’s natural defenses become aware of the invasion, the virus can have significant control over vital organs and tissues. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the Ebola virus are textbook examples of what dangerous viruses can do to a human body before they run their course.
Medical intervention and treatment is another important difference between viruses and bacteria. Bacteria are alive, which means they can be killed by some form of chemical agent. Antibiotics are chemical compounds that kill bacteria by destroying their cell walls or by neutralizing their ability to reproduce. The reason doctors prescribe long courses of antibiotics to patients is to create an environment where bacteria cannot live. Although bacteria often develop a tolerance to certain antibiotics, the effect is similar to using insecticides on insects.
Viruses, by comparison, are not considered living creatures. They cannot be “killed” in the same sense that antibiotics kill bacteria or insecticides kill insects. In fact, treating viral infections is often not a treatment at all. The disease must run its course until the body is able to mount an effective defense on its own. Antiviral treatments, when they exist, work on the principle of blocking the virus’s own destructive methods. Either the RNA or DNA strand of the virus must be genetically rendered harmless, or the methods for breaking through a cell wall must be destroyed.
Antiviral drugs are not effective against all viruses, which is why some diseases such as AIDS, HIV and Ebola still affect millions of people around the world. Scientists are still trying to understand the basic structure and genetic programming of viruses. Only by understanding how a virus works can a successful vaccine be developed. Treatment of most bacterial diseases, on the other hand, can be a matter of finding the most effective antibiotic or using a broad-spectrum approach.
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