What is the difference between bacterial and virus infections?
As a statement of the obvious, one infection is caused by a bacterium, the other by a virus. But the primary difference lies in the essential nature of these two causes of infection. A bacterium is a living, single-celled organism. It may live on its own or group with other cells to form more complex structures. At the highest levels of collective living, they come to represent small animals with protecting sheaths (providing the same functions as a skin) and multifunctional cells serving the needs of the whole. Although the different types of bacteria are, for the most part, not harmful to humans. Some may even perform beneficial functions within the body. Unfortunately, some may produce toxins that poison the cells around them. The majority are usually found living outside the body, whether on inanimate surfaces or in animals and insects. The average human will only meet a small number of the types of bacteria with many living in the seas and deep underground. Thus, the bacteria in o
