Difference Between Viruses and Bacteria

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Difference Between Viruses and Bacteria

Bacteria are unicellular living organisms and are simple in their organizations. They are capable of multiplying by themselves. They are therefore designated as “Prokaryotic” cells in contrast to “Eukaryotic” cells which are more complex. Bacteria exist everywhere, inside and on our bodies. Most bacteria are quite beneficial for us and cause no harm. But, some bacteria cause diseases.

Viruses are unique group of living agents, extremely small in size, usually beyond the resolution of a light microscope, possess highest state of parasitism containing single molecule of either DNA or RNA which has a protein shell and multiply by replication within the living cell. Outside of a living cell, virus cannot exist. Viruses are not beneficial.


Difference in bacteria and virus is provided below.

Difference Between Viruses and Bacteria

	Bacteria	Viruses
Cell	Single cell	No
Size	Size comparatively larger-in microscope, usually above 300 nm (e. g. - Staphylococcus- 1000nm)	Size very small in microscope, usually below 300nm, small pox virus is largest (300nm)
Microscopy	Visible under light microscope	Not visible under light microscope except pox virus
Outer surface	Rigid wall containing peptidoglycan layer	Protein capsid and lipoprotein envelop.
Nucleic acid	Contain both DNA and RNA	Contain either DNA or RNA, never both

Difference Between Viruses and Bacteria

Site	Extracellular or intracellular, may grow outside or inside the host cell, active in extra-cellular environment	Usually intracellular, must grow inside a living host cell, inert in extracellular environment, i.e. strict parasites.
Multiplication	Multiply by binary fission	Multiply by replication
Culture	Can grow in inanimate (artificial and cell-free) culture media except Rickettsiae and Chlamydiae	Cannot grow in inanimate (artificial and cell-free) culture media
Energy yielding enzymes	Present	Absent
Metabolic activity	Present	Absent

Difference Between Viruses and Bacteria

Antibiotic sensitivity	Sensitive or resistant to antibiotics	Mostly resistant to antibiotics
Interferon sensitivity	Resistant to interferon except Chlamydiae	Sensitive to interferon
Infection	Localized	Systemic
Treatment option	Antibiotics	Vaccines (but not available for all virus)