[ad_1]

Many people are under the wrong impression the viruses and bacteria are the same thing, or at least similar, because they both cause disease. Due to this popular belief, the term “bug” is generally used to describe both. However, there ‘s a bigger difference between viruses and bacteria than between bacteria and people. Even the smallest bacteria are thousands of times larger than a virus.

Still, viruses are more dangerous. Let ‘s take the case of a flu, for example. The virus that causes flu symptoms not only gets under your skin, but it gets right into your cells and takes over. And if you can kill bacteria with antibiotics, they don ‘t stand a chance with viruses, as they have no effect whatsoever. But are viruses alive, like bacteria are?

Unfortunately, as unbelievable as it may seem, this is a question without a clear answer. Viruses are particles, consisting of a DNA or RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecule surrounded by a protective coat, and reproduce by transferring their DNA to a living cell. Basically, they take over and turn the cell into a factory to produce new viruses. The hijacked cell uses all its energy to produce hundreds or thousands of new viruses and then bursts apart, releasing them into the world.

Whether viruses are alive or not is not yet clear, because defining life is actually not as simple as it may seem. If we define life on the basis of cells, then viruses are definitely not alive. Cells are surrounded by a membrane in which the functions of life take place (energy, growth, reproduction). Viruses, however, do not have cell membranes, do not grow and do not produce or digest food, so under this definition they cannot be considered living things like bacteria.

Still, if we take another definition adopted by some biologists, life would be defined by the ability to pass genetic information from generation to generation. Under the light of this theory, viruses are definitely alive. Although they do not grow after they leave the cell, they do grow as the cell builds them, and they use the mechanism of the cell to convert food into new viruses.

Bottom line, a clear answer still cannot be given, as viruses don ‘t really fit into any class, be it living or non-living. Some biologists even propose that viruses are more closely related to their hosts than to other viruses, because of the similarities of DNA in the virus and the host.

[ad_2]

Source by Alexandra Cazacu