Viruses vs Bacteria

We might think that viruses and bacteria have a lot in common, especially since we associate both of them with diseases and we can't see either of them with the naked eye. In fact, the difference between them is greater than that between a plant and a whale.

Bacteria measure between 0.2 and 2 microns in diameter, to give you an idea, the thickness of a hair is about 75 microns; to be able to see bacteria you need a microscope, even if it is simple and low resolution, you can see them. If you use a lens with a hundred magnifications (100x) you can see them as dots and with one between four hundred and one thousand magnifications (400/1000x) you can see their shape.

Bacteria come in many different shapes but their structure is quite simple. They have three external layers, inside is their DNA, which is a bit disorganized, ribosomes, which are the machinery in charge of creating proteins, cytoplasm and plasmids, which is extra DNA, and they can have some or all of these additional structures, a flagellum to move, fimbriae to adhere to, and little hairs called pilus that they use to move and send and receive DNA from other bacteria.

Viruses are very small, so much so that an electron microscope is needed to see them, the smallest viruses are up to fifty times smaller than a bacterium. In 2003, the Girus were discovered, which are the size of a small bacterium, viruses also have several forms but compared to bacteria, viruses have a very simple structure, in general they have an envelope and inside it RNA or DNA, viruses are missing many essential parts for their reproduction, the only way they can replicate is by using living cells, that is why they are dedicated to invading everything within their reach if they have the chemical key that allows them to enter, they infect and make sick all types of organisms.

The diseases caused by viruses are:

Hepatitis
Influenza
Dengue
chicken pox
Colds
Herpes

On the other hand, some bacteria can be harmful and many others beneficial, for example we could not live without all the bacteria that inhabit our body. Very few bacteria can cause diseases such as:

Tetanus
Lyme's desease
Salmonellosis
Anthrax
Shigelosis

There are also vaccines that protect us against bacterial infections such as tetanus or meningitis. In general, it is more difficult to create vaccines against viruses because they are so small and always reproduce inside the cell, in addition to the very high mutation rate. Clues to differentiate a viral infection from a bacterial one:

Viral Infection

a. Runny nose
b. High fever
c. Sore throat

Bacterial Infection

a. Very high fever
b. Symptoms persist for more than 14 days
c. Symptoms worsen as the days go by
d. Diarrhea