What’s the Difference Between Virus and Bacteria? | The Institute for Creation Research
What’s the Difference Between Virus and Bacteria?
As we are embroiled in a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to know the basics of these tragic viral infections and why the medical community can’t just prescribe common antibiotics as they do with bacterial infections.

To begin with, there is a significant difference between bacteria (such as the ubiquitous E. coli that is sometimes in the news) and viruses. Bacteria are much larger than tiny viruses and there’s a large group of specially designed viruses—called bacteriophages—that attack bacteria and replicate (duplicate) in them.

Bacteria are of two general types, based on how they retain artificial stain to be viewed under the microscope. These types are gram negative and gram positive. Gram negative bacteria have thin cell walls, and gram positive bacteria have thick cell walls. The cells that make up people and animals have no cell walls. An antibiotic (such as amoxicillin or metronidazole) is designed to attack and break down components of the bacterial cell wall and thus kill it. But viruses are not made with cell walls and thus are unaffected by antibiotics.

A virus is a self-replicating, infectious, nucleic acid-protein complex. It is designed to enter into a host cell for replication, taking over the cell’s biological machinery. The viral genome (total genetic information) is RNA or DNA. Examples of illnesses caused by viruses range from the common cold1 (which can be caused by one of the rhinoviruses) to viruses that cause diseases of the liver (hepatitis). DNA viruses are the cause of diseases such as smallpox and herpes. RNA viruses cause Ebola disease, SARS, hepatitis C, and the flu.

COVID-19 is known as a novel coronavirus. It gets its name from its shape as seen under the electron microscope that has a much higher magnification than traditional light microscopes. The coronavirus looks like a ball studded with proteins. The surface of the envelope (not a cell wall) has spike glycoprotein, E-protein, and membrane protein. Inside the virus is the RNA genome.

The disease (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is spread by sneezes and coughs which is why those that are infected wear masks and stay well away from others. The lungs are most affected by this virus. The virus enters the lung cell and begins replication, making many more viruses that infect other host cells. The patient may begin to experience fever, cough, and shortness of breath and should seek medical help.

Those of us who know Christ should help our neighbors physically and, more importantly, spiritually, introducing those who are at risk or in fear to the Great Physician.

References
1. Common Cold. MedicineNet. Posted on medicinenet.com.

*Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate is at ICR. He earned his master’s in zoology from the University of Northern Colorado.
The Latest
NEWS
Bumblebee University
Entomologists, biologists who study insects, continue to uncover amazing discoveries regarding the intellect of bees1,2 Now, biologists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Struck: Risking It All for the Truth | Creation.Live Podcast:...
In this unique episode, host Trey talks with three key people involved in creating Struck—an upcoming miniseries that shows the special ties between...

NEWS
Giant Ants Buried in Receding Flood Rocks
Evolutionary scientists are baffled by a large ant fossil found in British Columbia, Canada. Known as Titanomyrma, this same ant had been found previously...

CREATION PODCAST
Why Do Animals Hibernate? | The Creation Podcast: Episode 45
The word hibernation is often used in reference to deep sleep, but what is it really? What kinds of creatures hibernate? How does this demonstrate the...

NEWS
Thalattosuchians—Extinct Crocodile Relatives?
The Thalattosuchia are an extinct group of marine crocodylomorphs (a group that includes the crocodiles) that allegedly transitioned from land to water...

NEWS
The Star-Nosed Mole
The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a fascinating semi-aquatic mammal found in eastern Canada and the United States. Moles (placental mammals)...

NEWS
The Hexagon: An Indication of Order and Design in Nature
In nature, noncoincidental patterns and geometry exist everywhere. But the number six appears to overshadow nature’s mathematical landscape. Whether...

NEWS
Neanderthal Crab Bake
The evolutionary science community said it perfectly in their headlines: “Proof that Neanderthals ate crabs is another 'nail in the coffin'...

CREATION PODCAST
Is There Any Truth to Dragon Legends? | The Creation Podcast:...
Dragons are considered by many to be made-up creatures in fairytales and legends, but our ancestors produced many descriptions and depictions of "dragons,"...

NEWS
Our Sun, Finely Tuned for Life on Earth
Aside from appreciating the splendor of the sun during a beautiful sunrise or sunset, many rarely consider how special, necessary, and finely tuned...