human
Can you explain the difference between a virus and a bacterium?
assistant
A virus is an infectious agent that replicates only inside living cells. It has no cell walls, so it can’t survive outside of the host organism. Bacteria are much larger than viruses, but they do have cell walls. They can live on their own or in groups called colonies. Viruses use the host cell’s machinery to replicate themselves, while bacteria make their own copies using enzymes.