What is the difference between germ and virus?

What's the differerrence, if any, between a germ, bacteria and a virus?

  • I know bacteria can multiply by simply doubling themselves (given the right environment), but a virus needs to invade a hosts cells and explode them in order to multiply. So a virus is much smaller and simpler than bacteria, but what exactly is a germ?

  • Answer:

    "Germ" means "seed", and is the original term for all disease-causing organisms, back before we could even tell what they were. The germ theory of disease was revolutionary and pretty crazy for its time. "Little invisible animals make us sick? Suuuurrre they do." It wasn't until much later that we figured out more about viruses and bacteria, so the term "germ" has stuck with us, and it's typically used when speaking about both together.

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A germ is an informal term used to describe a disease causing organism, particularly a bacteria. Using this definition, I would assume that a virus is not included as a germ, because in order to be an organism, a virus would have to be alive, and this is a quality that a virus does not possess: it's simply a packet of DNA coated with protein.

rollcage888

GERM IS A GENERAL TERM FOR ANY MICROBE BACTERIA ARE CELLS AND ARE ALIVE VIRUSES ARE NO-LIVING MACROMOLECULAR AGGREGRATES

loligo1

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