human
What is the difference between a virus and bacteria?
assistant
The main difference between viruses and bacteria is that viruses are much smaller than bacteria, typically ranging in size from 0.1-0.5 micrometers. Viruses also lack a cell membrane and instead rely on host cells to replicate. Bacteria, on the other hand, have a cell wall which contains a variety of sugars and fatty acids, allowing them to survive outside of a host cell. Additionally, bacteria can reproduce independently while viruses need to infect a host cell for reproduction.