What are the key differences between viruses and bacteria?

[Jin S Zhang]

Virus and Bacteria?

What is the difference between virus and bacteria? What are the advantages and disadvantages of them?

 

[russ_watters]

A virus is just a snippet of DNA or RNA enclosed in a shell. A bacteria is basically a fully functional cell. Advantages and disadvantages? Ummmm...for what?

Anyway, you can read the wiki on them for a much fuller descripton.

 

[Biophreak]

Viruses and bacteria differ in several respects.

Bacteria have ribosomes and can therefore make proteins on their own, viruses can't

Bacteria have polymerases for making copies of their own DNA, most viruses hijack cell-
machinery for DNA synthesis (though some viruses can transcribe their own
genetic material)

Bacteria reproduce through fission, budding, etc while viruses are built in the cell

Bacterial genetic code is always DNA based while viruses can be single or double stranded
DNA or RNA viruses

Bacteria have a metabolism, while viruses don't

Basically, viruses are very, very simple forms of life. They lack many of the necessary components for replication, which is why they must infect, hijack, and use a host's cellular machinery for their own purposes.