1. Bacteria use nutrients for energy, growth, and reproduction.
2. Bacteria have cell walls, ribosomes, and DNA; they lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
3. Three different shapes of bacteria: cocci (spherical), bacilli (rod-shaped), spirilla (spiral).
4. Typical viruses are made of genetic material (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat (capsid); some have an outer lipid envelope.
5. The part that provides the template for new virus particles is the viral genome (DNA or RNA).
6. Viruses are generally not considered living because they cannot reproduce or carry out metabolic processes without a host cell.
7. Viruses infect specific cells based on receptor proteins on the host cell surface that match viral attachment proteins.
8. Types of viruses include DNA viruses, RNA viruses, retroviruses, and bacteriophages.
9. A virus that infects bacteria is called a bacteriophage.
10. The membrane that surrounds a virus is called the viral envelope.
11.
- Bacteria: Prokaryotic, have cell walls, reproduce by binary fission, can live independently, have ribosomes.
- Viruses: Non-living, require host to replicate, consist of genetic material + protein coat, no metabolism, no ribosomes.
- Overlap: Both contain genetic material (DNA/RNA).
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of bacteria and viruses worksheet.
