What's the Difference Between a Virus and a Bacterium?

Imagine a virus is like a tiny pirate who can't move on its own. It needs to sneak into a bacterium, which is more like a strong sailor who can sail through the sea of your body all by itself. Once inside, the virus takes over and makes the bacterium create more pirates, more viruses.

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Examples

  1. A cold is usually caused by a virus, while an infection from a cut on your hand might be due to bacteria.
  2. A virus can make you sick quickly, but a bacterium might take longer to cause trouble.
  3. When you get the flu, it feels like your body is being taken over, that's a virus at work.

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Categories: Biology · virus· bacteria· microbiology