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Bacteria are tiny, one-celled living organisms with a tail like structure that they use to swim (flagella). They can only be seen with the aid of a microscope. They live and breed in warm, moist environments in the body and other places, where they grow quickly, causing an infection. They reproduce by a process called Binary fission. This a method of asexual reproduction (reproduction occurring without the sexual union of male and female gametes) that involves the splitting of a parent cell (one-celled organism) into two daughter cells (their offspring). Structurally they usually have an enclosed cell wall and can appear in different shapes such as rodlike, spherical and spiral. Bacterial infections can usually be treated with an antibiotic.

Viruses are smaller than bacteria and cannot be seen with a ordinary microscope (only with an electron microscope). They grow inside the body and produce toxins (poisons) that can cause infection. Viruses can not self-reproduce outside a cell of an organism (the host). They can only reproduce by using the cellular mechanism system of their host to reproduce. Structurally, virus do not have a cell wall and consist of a genetic material (DNA or RNA) that is enclosed by a protective coat of protein. This means, they may appear in several different shapes since they are not restricted by a cell wall. They can be rod-shaped, sphere-shaped or multisided. Viruses cannot be killed with antibiotics.

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Labels: Biology, Microorganism, Science