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

    Asked by Miss Science to Deborah, Euan, Maheen, Rob, Stu on 12 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Rob Stanley

      Rob Stanley answered on 12 Jun 2016:

      Bacteria are made of cells. These cells are very similar to those that make up you and every other plant or animal, but each bacteria is a single cell. To make more bacteria they split themselves in two.

      Viruses are made up of small amounts of DNA inside a capsule. To make more of themselves they have to infect a cell and force that cell to copy them. In fact, some viruses can infect bacteria.

    • Photo: Deborah Prunty

      Deborah Prunty answered on 12 Jun 2016:

      Bacteria are living things made of cells. They are tiny, but can survive by themselves and can make more of themselves.

      Virus are not alive, they need to infect something to survive and multiply. They aren’t made of cells, just little lumps of DNA.

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