Question

1. differentiate between bacteria and viruses. select three of the following categories to make your distinctions.

a. structure
b. metabolism
c. reproduction
d. how they cause disease
e. how diseases caused by them are treated

Explanation:

To differentiate between bacteria and viruses, we can choose three categories (e.g., Structure, Reproduction, How diseases are treated):

• Structure: Bacteria are single - celled prokaryotes with a cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material (DNA in a nucleoid). Viruses are acellular, consisting of a protein coat (capsid) and genetic material (DNA or RNA), and some have an envelope.
• Reproduction: Bacteria reproduce asexually by binary fission, where one cell divides into two identical daughter cells. Viruses can only reproduce by hijacking a host cell's machinery; they inject their genetic material into the host cell and use the host's resources to make new virus particles (replication).
• How diseases caused by them are treated: Bacterial diseases are often treated with antibiotics (which target bacterial cell structures or processes). Viral diseases are generally treated with antiviral medications (which target viral replication cycles), and many viral infections rely on the host's immune system or vaccines for prevention, as antibiotics are ineffective against viruses.

Answer:

We can choose a. Structure, c. Reproduction, e. How diseases caused by them are treated (or any other three from the list with appropriate explanations for differentiation).