Rhea

For my personal education, can one of the people here who is knowledgable about biology please help me understand some distinctions?

Microbe
Germ
Virus
Bacterium

Thanks!

ps418

Microbe -- a microorganism; organism too small to see without magnification. Can refer to viruses, bacteria, protists, fungi, and (maybe?) prions.

Germ -- a microorganism that causes illness (i.e. is pathogenic). Can refer to viruses, bacteria, protists, and (maybe?) prions.

Virus -- a noncellular infectious microrganism composed of RNA or DNA and a few proteins. Can't replicate without a host cell. May or may not cause illness.

Bacterium - a single-celled microorganism without a nucleus (prokaryotic). Can replicate without assistance from other cells. May or may not cause illness.

You can find all the info you desire using a search engine, but I'm sure many here would be happy to try to answer any questions.

Patrick

Rhea

Thank you!

I know the info is all over the place on the web but all together as a quick definition - you've provided exactly what I need. I appreciate your taking the time! Sometimes searching the web for the most basic definitions is frustrating because most of the hits assume you already know what it is. So anyway, I appreciate your help.

I just get things fired at me "kills germs" "antimicrobial" antibiotic" and "antiseptic" and it's hard to bucket everything properly.