• Question: What is the difference between bacteria and virus?

    Asked by elliejade to Asif, Laura, Lena, Sean, Viv on 19 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Lena Ciric

      Lena Ciric answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      Both are microorganisms. Bacteria are single cells and can make their own food, make protein, and make DNA to divide to make new cells. Viruses are much smaller and generally consist only of DNA and a hard outer shell. They inject their DNA into the cells of their host (victim!) and then the host cell makes DNA and proteins in order for the virus to multiply. So bacteria are usually independent but viruses are like parasites and need to live off something else.

    • Photo: Sean Murphy

      Sean Murphy answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      The main thing that makes a bacteria and virus different is that viruses lack a cell wall and cannot replicate by themselves. The very first bacteria probably evolved from a virus that formed a cell wall.

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