Alexander Zingman : Viruses vs. Bacteria and Difference?

 Let's face it - we've been talking a lot about viruses for the last two pandemic years. This means that now you probably know that the virus is invisible to the naked eye and can cause all kinds of health problems.

But bacteria check those boxes too. So what is the difference between viruses and bacteria - and why is it important to understand the difference? Here's what to know about the two pathogens and diseases they can cause.

What are viruses and bacteria?

Viruses and bacteria are all around us. While we can not see them with the naked eye - in fact, viruses are microscopic, which means you can not even see them under a microscope, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute - they can certainly let us know if they infect us.

Viruses are tiny organisms from a gene called a nucleic acid - either DNA or RNA, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute - which is surrounded by a coat of protein, Charles Bailey, MD, doctor of infection control at Providence St. Joseph Hospital. and Providence Mission Hospital in Orange County, California, says Health.

These tiny germs take over cells in your body and use part of the host cells to make copies of themselves, explains the National Human Genome Research Institute. The virus multiplies, takes over from other cells and continues to multiply. This process can damage or kill healthy cells, leading to disease.

Although a virus can not multiply unless it is within the cell of another organism, bacteria - larger, unicellular organisms - do not need a host to multiply and can live in various species of the environment.