What distinguishes viruses from bacteria in terms of size and reproduction?

Viruses are characterized by being significantly smaller than bacteria, typically measuring in nanometers, whereas bacteria are measured in micrometers and are generally much larger. The crucial distinction in reproduction is that viruses cannot reproduce independently; they require a living host cell to replicate. They latch onto a host, inject their genetic material, and hijack the host’s cellular machinery to produce new virus particles. This dependency on a living host is a fundamental aspect of viral biology, which sets them apart from bacteria that can reproduce independently through processes such as binary fission. Bacteria, being fully living organisms, have their own mechanisms for growing and dividing without the need for a host. This difference underlines the essential contrast between viruses and bacteria in both size and reproductive methods.