What are the differences between Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi and Parasites?

1 Answer
Dec 19, 2015

They differ in terms of size , shape , nutrition and many more.

Explanation:

Viruses are different from all other infectious microorganisms because they are the only group of microorganisms that cannot replicate outside of a host cell. Because viruses are not cells.A virus is simply RNA or DNA in a coat called capsid made of protiens called capsomeres.Viruses are so small that they can only be seen with an electron microscope.Viruses infect plants,animals(including protists),fungi,bacteria and blue green algae

Bacteria are ten to 100 times larger than viruses. They are typically 1 to 3 microns in length.They can be rod shaped(bacillus),spherical(cocci),spiral shaped(spirilum) and comma shaped(vibrio). Some bacteria live and multiply in the environment while others are adapted to life within human or animal hosts. Some bacteria can double in number every fifteen minutes while others take weeks or months to multiply.

A parasite is any organism that depends upon another organism called host for its survival usually causing harm to the host.But some organisms such as male anglerfish which lives as a parasite on the female niether harm nor benefit the host.So, a parasite can be a plant,animal,fungus,bacteria or [virus].Organisms such as Nostoc , Anabeana, or human gut bacteria cannot be termed as parasites as they benefit the host