• Question: What's the difference between bacteria and virus?

    Asked by wario5000 to Aime, Akshat, Diana, Gemma, Judith on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Viruses aren’t alive, but bacteria are.

      Bacteria are whole cells, viruses are more like a chunk of DNA in a protective shell. Bacteria can grow on their own, but viruses need to be inside a living cell to multiply. Viruses get inside a cell and stop it making copies of its DNA and make it start making copies of the viral DNA instead.

    • Photo: Judith McCann

      Judith McCann answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      I knew this but I’d basically be repeating what Gemma said, viruses basically go into your cells and use the resources to make more of itself. I heard an ace virus joke (well, scientifically correct, that doesn’t always mean funny)

      A virus walks into a bar, the barman says “We don’t serve viruses in here”, the virus replaces the barman and says “Now we do!”

      Yes, its bad, but in science jokes, a groan is as good as a laugh!

    • Photo: Akshat Rathi

      Akshat Rathi answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      I think you are question has been answered so I’ll tell you a fact – Viruses can affect computers but bacteria can’t! 😉

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