Are viruses living things?

When we get sick, we often don't care whether our immune system is under attack from a virus or bacteria. However, from the point of view of biology, they are completely different things. Viruses are not even living things in the full sense of the word.

Bacteria and viruses cause disease, are very small and can reproduce at an enormous rate. But putting that aside, there are huge differences between them, he says Deutsche Welle.

Bacteria are a single-celled form of life. In just one cell there is everything necessary for life - DNA chains and cell organelles, which produce proteins and supply bacteria with energy. Bacteria have their own metabolism - just like us. They spoil themselves by sharing.

Diseases caused by bacteria include diphtheria, cholera, whooping cough, tuberculosis and many others. However, it is important to note that there are also bacteria that work for us. In fact, many of them are necessary for our good health - so in the intestines there is a huge number of bacteria that help us with digestion or fight against other, harmful bacteria. Bacteria participate in the production of yogurt, and some companies advertise bacteria - so-called probiotics.

Viruses: reproductive machines

Viruses are infectious particles, not cells. They generally consist of just a single strand of DNA and a protein shell. They do not have their own organs for obtaining energy, producing proteins or reproduction.

In addition, viruses are much smaller than bacteria. Single-celled organisms labeled as bacteria are roughly 0.001 millimeter in diameter, but viruses are a hundred times smaller.

For many scientists, viruses are not alive at all. Of course, this depends on what is meant by the term "life" as there is no definitive definition.

Viruses can reproduce only with the help of other organisms. They smuggle their genetic material into other people's cells and then program them. With the help of this trick, the host cells start producing only virus particles, until the cell ruptures, and these particles are released again.

Each individual virus "specializes" in a certain type of cell. Some of them attack plants, others animals or humans – and some even bacteria. Viruses in humans can cause AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, influenza, rubella, jaundice and other diseases.

Special drugs against viruses

Antibiotics only work against bacteria. Viruses cannot be killed, so virostatics are used against them. The task of these substances is to prevent the reproduction of viruses, for example, by preventing them from entering host cells.

Despite this, many doctors often prescribe antibiotics even though they know it is a viral infection. The reason is that such infections weaken the immune system, so bacteria have the opportunity to attack the body with reduced possibilities for defense. Antibiotics should prevent such additional infections.

Vaccines can be developed against both viruses and bacteria.