Viruses vs. Bacterial Infection
Written By: Bhavya Gupta
People often use the words ‘virus’ and ‘bacteria’ interchangeably, but there are quite a few distinctions between them. Especially when it comes to a treatment, knowing the difference between the two can be vital.
Firstly, knowing the anatomy of the two is the key to understanding the difference. Viruses are classified as non-living structures. They have a protein coat known as a capsid that surrounds the DNA or RNA, and can only reproduce by hijacking a host cell, forcing it to make more viruses. Viruses do not contain organelles or have a cell membrane.
On the other hand, bacteria are classified as living organisms that have DNA and can reproduce on their own. They do contain organelles similar to that of a prokaryotic cell such as cell walls, cell membrane, ribosomes, and flagellum.
Secondly, learning about well-known examples of viruses and bacterial infections can help in understanding the difference. Viruses are very specific in the type of cell they attack and can cause diseases. Sometimes viruses recondition certain cells, waiting for them to burst or die or they turn normal cells into malignant or cancerous cells. Some viruses include the flu, HIV/AIDS, Polio, Measles, Chickenpox, SARS, and the Coronavirus.
Some bacteria can be good, and there are plenty of good bacteria living in your body right now. However, there are definitely bad ones as well. Some bacterial infections include Pneumonia, Meningitis, food poisoning, and STD’s are just some examples.
Lastly, the one major difference between viral and bacterial infections is that viruses cannot be “killed” with antibiotics. Instead, a special vaccine must be created and tested to prevent a disease from occurring. The vaccines contain antigens so when it is injected into the body, it knows to produce antibodies to help combat the virus.
Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics and don’t need specialized vaccines. The antibiotic will recognize the bad bacteria and slow down its reproduction as well as interfere with bacterial cell wall formation to hinder its ability to thrive.
Only one similarity binds the viruses and bacterial infections together, the fact that it is harmful to the host body, all the while microscopic cells of your immune system are trying to fend them off the best they can.
Works Cited
Ambardekar, Nayana. “How Do Viruses Differ from Bacteria?” WebMD, WebMD, 2019, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/qa/how-do-viruses-differ-from-bacteria.
