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What is the difference between bacteria and a virus?
Written by Jasper Verhoeven | Last update: 15-09-2020
Bacteria and viruses are the most important pathogens in horticulture and can cause great damage to crop. It is often thought that bacteria and viruses are the same, but that is not the case. The main difference between a bacterium and a virus is the structure and thickness of the cell wall, which has a major impact on control.
What is a bacterium?
A bacterium is a micro-organism, which means that it cannot be seen with the human eye. Bacteria have a very thin cell wall. This allows them to multiply rapidly through cell division. There are both good and bad bacteria. Where bad bacteria have negative consequences for a crop and are difficult to control, good bacteria can protect a crop against fungi and insect pests. An example of a good bacteria is Mycorrhiza.
What is a virus?
A virus consists of genetic material and, just like a bacterium, cannot be seen with the naked eye. A virus has a shell in which the genetic material is trapped. This shell is called the protein mantle. The protein mantle therefore forms the protective layer of the actual virus. Only when the genetic material leaves the protein mantle can it infect other cells with the virus. Unlike bacteria, viruses do not multiply by cell division. A virus can only multiply through the cells of humans, animals, or plant cells.
Fighting viruses and bacteria
Both viruses and bacteria are difficult to combat when they are not detected in time. When you do know how to detect viruses and bacteria in time, you can fight them by using crop protection products and / or disinfectants.