Viruses & Bacteria

A guide to understanding the similarities and differences of viruses

and bacteria

Two Monera Kingdoms

• Archaebacteria

• Eubacteria

Archaebacteria

• Ancient life form• Live in extreme

environments• More than 300 million

years old.

Eubacteria

• Most abundant form of life on Earth.

• Make foods, cause diseases and decompose matter.

• Live in warm, pH balanced, low-salt environments.

• Different cell membranes and RNA than Archaebacteria.

Viruses

• Greek word meaning “to poison”.

• Measured in nanometers (nm).

• A nanometer is = to 1 billionth of a meter.

• Viruses have 2 parts: a core of hereditary material and an outer coat of protection.

• A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects a bacteria.

Bacteriophage

• It is a virus.• It attaches to bacteria

with it’s tail.• It sends it’s genetic

material from it’s head to it’s tail.

• More of the virus reproduces in the host bacteria.

Viruses come in many shapes and sizes!

• Viruses range in size from 10-250 nm.

• They do not have cells.

• They are non-living.

• They contain hereditary material (DNA or RNA).

• Most must have a host to survive.

• Strong protein coat.

                   

Bacteria

• Kingdom: Moneran has been split into the Acheabacteria Kingdom and the Eubacteria Kingdom.

• One celled organisms.• No nucleus• Oldest form of life on Earth.• Most live in colonies.

Three types of bacteria

• Spirilla (spigh-RIHL-uh)

• Spirillum (singular)

• Cork-screw shaped.

Cocci

• Cocci (KAHK-sigh)

• Coccus (singular)

• Spherical shaped

Bacilli

• Bacilli (buh-SIHL-igh)

• Bacillus (singular)

• Rod shaped.

Movement of Bacteria

• Bacteria move with Flagella.

• These are tail like structures that help the bacteria to move in liquid.

Reproduction

• Bacteria reproduce by Binary Fission.

• They split in half!• When food is scarce

bacteria can form an Endospore.

• This is a protective resting cell.

They can double in number every 20 minutes!