human
What is the difference between a virus and an infection?
assistant
The main difference between a virus and an infection is that viruses are much smaller than bacteria and other microorganisms, typically ranging from 0.02 to 0.1 microns in diameter, while infections are caused by larger organisms such as fungi and bacteria which range from 1-10 microns. Viruses also contain genetic material called DNA or RNA, which can be used to replicate themselves within a host cell; whereas, bacterial and fungal infections rely on cellular machinery for replication. Additionally, viruses cannot reproduce independently outside of a host organism, but bacteria and fungi can.