Download Notes on Bacteria vs. Viruses and more Study notes Biology in PDF only on Docsity! Bacteria vs Viruses 1 Bacteria vs Viruses Bacterias are living and are composed of cells Bacteria and Viruses are two different things. Characteristics of Living Things: Order - life is characterized by highly ordered structures Reproduction - organisms reproduce their own kind Growth and development Respond to the environment Adapt Maintain internal constancy Obtain and use energy Viruses - contain genetic material, either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid. Some viruses also have a lipid envelope surrounding the protein coat. They do not have cells or the ability to replicate on their own and must infect a host cell to reproduce. Is it possible to make a virus? Yes, it is possible to make a virus through a process called synthetic biology. However, this is a highly regulated field and researchers must follow strict safety Bacteria vs Viruses 2 protocols to prevent the creation of harmful viruses. Differences between Bacteria & Viruses: Structure: bacteria are made up of cells with a simple internal structure, while viruses are much smaller and are composed of genetic material, surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid. Reproduction: Bacteria reproduce asexually by binary fission, which is a form of cell division. This means that a single bacterium divides into two identical daughter cells. Viruses cannot reproduce on their own and must infect a host cell to replicate themselves. Once inside the host cell, the virus will hijack the host's cellular machinery to produce new copies of the virus. This process is called the lytic cycle. Some viruses can also undergo the lysogenic cycle, where the viral DNA becomes integrated into the host's DNA and replicates with it as the host cell divides. Size: viruses have a smaller size compared to bacteria. Different kind of viruses: Influenza viruses Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Herpes simplex viruses Human papillomavirus (HPV)
