Virus and bacteria

The difference between viruses and bacteria is that the virus is harmful for our health causing diseases, instead, the bacteria are microorganisms with which we live together daily, generating more Benefits what diseases.

Both viruses and bacteria are microorganisms. The bacterium is considered a living organism due to its complexity and its ability to independent playback. It is questioned whether the virus is considered a living organism before finding one host cell, where it stays to be able to reproduce, since without it it cannot 'live'.

Both cause diseases, but they differ because bacteria not only cause diseases, but are necessary for the balance of our body: they are called good bacteria, intestinal flora that regulates our pH is an example of this.

Nowadays, thanks to science and technology, it has been possible to use some viruses in a beneficial way, such as bacteriophage. Scientists take advantage of the characteristics of viruses to lodge in cells for their subsequent destruction to fight, for example, brain tumors.

Some of the basic characteristics between viruses and bacteria are:

	Virus	Bacterium
Characteristics general	acellular microorganism, does not have its own metabolism, needs cells from other organisms called "host cells" to live and reproduce.	single-celled microorganism, coexists with living beings, has the structure and DNA necessary to reproduce.
Characteristics specific	mutates to suit its host. the largest virus is the size of the smallest bacteria.	it is a living organism, 90% microbial life exists in the human body versus 10% human cells.
Cause of illness	Infection of the virus that lodges in host cells changing its DNA for its own, eventually destroying the cells.	Increase in the number of bacteria and products of their metabolism that cause disease.
Infection	Systemic	Located
Examples of diseases	AIDS (HIV virus) Chickenpox Influenza Hepatitis B Herpes Rage	Pneumonia Infection feeding bacteria (E. Coli) Meningitis Gonorrhea Infections in general
Prevention and cure	Preventive and antiviral vaccines.	Bacterial balance of the organism and antibiotics.

See also:

• Difference between HIV and AIDS
• Difference between antisepsis and asepsis
• Difference between isolation and quarantine.