Difference between parasites and bacteria

The main difference between parasites and bacteria is that the parasite is any organism (unicellular or multicellular) that lives in or in a host, whereas bacteria are a small unicellular organism, which is often referred to as microbes …

Parasites vs. Bacteria

Parasites are organisms that spend most of their life cycle inside the body of others generally, generally damaging their hosts to a defined degree. Bacteria (singular bacteria) are small, single-celled organisms that arise in all environments, from water to soil, living organisms and even in extreme habitats, for example sea vents. Some bacteria live as parasites, although they are relatively few. Parasites are organisms that can be unicellular or multicellular of a wide range of genera. In contrast, bacteria are single-celled organisms that can group together to form colonies or chains of classes. Parasites differ from bacteria due to the many characteristics their cells share with human cells in which a defined nucleus is also included. Parasite replication is quite a strange phenomenon, for example, some parasites only replicate within a host organism, but some of them can freely replicate in the environment. Like parasites, some bacteria multiply freely in the environment, while others replicate in human or animal hosts. Some of the bacteria can double in number every fifteen minutes, while others take months or weeks to multiply. Parasites cause many diseases such as malaria, etc. Bacteria cause many diseases,

Comparative chart

Parasites are any organism, from single-celled to multicellular organisms, that live in or on the host, which adversely affects the host to some extent because they feed on the host’s tissue. They can live with one host or have a complex life cycle that involves different hosts.

What are bacteria ?

Bacteria are small, single-celled organisms known as microbes. These single-celled organisms can join together to form chains or colonies. Although classified as living organisms, bacteria have a simple design; they do not have a nuclear membrane or membrane-bound organelles. It also has a cell wall, sometimes called a cytoskeleton. DNA is found in the cytoplasm, where it is arranged in a circular circle. There may be a second circle of DNA, known as a plasmid. These plasmids often contain genes that offer various benefits for bacteria, for example resistance to certain antibiotics.

Key differences

1. The parasite lives in or in a host, while the bacterium is a small single-celled organism, known as microbes.
2. Parasites are classified as prokaryotic microorganisms or eukaryotic microorganisms; on the other hand, bacteria are classified as prokaryotic microorganisms.
3. Parasites are microorganisms that can be unicellular or multicellular. In contrast, bacteria are single-celled microorganisms.
4. According to the effect of parasites in humans, there are three types of them that are; protozoa (unicellular organisms, including some bacteria), ectoparasites and helminths (live on the external surface of the body), on the other hand, according to their forms, there are 5 types of bacteria classified as; Cocci (spherical), bacilli (rods), spirochetes (corkscrew), spirillae (spiral) and vibrios (coma).
5. The mode of reproduction of some parasites is cell division, but more complex and larger parasites can have complicated life cycles involving different vectors and intermediate hosts, on the other hand, bacteria are the organisms that reproduce by binary fission.
6. Parasites are harmful to their hosts to a varying degree, while bacteria can have a useful and harmless symbiosis or they can be parasitic (pathogenic) to their host.
7. Parasites are only found living in or within a host, but they can be free-living in some stages of life, on the other hand, bacteria are found in different environments, i.e. soil, ice, ocean, water, in living organisms, etc. .
8. From severe to asymptomatic disease, treatment ranges from antiparasitic drugs to antibiotics or prophylaxis to prevent infection, while antibiotics are used to treat disease-causing pathogens.
9. Parasites are organisms that do not provide any benefit to their host, but feed and grow on the energy supplied to them, while bacteria are important for the functioning of most ecosystems. They aid in digestion in humans, in nitrogen fixation and nutrient cycling, in the manufacture of certain fermented foods such as yogurt and soy sauce, in agriculture, in the extraction of certain metals, and in many other fields such as biotechnology.
10. Parasites are organisms that depend entirely on their host for their life cycle or only a part of it; conversely, bacteria reproduce by binary fission, resulting in two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent bacterial cell. Some bacteria can form endospores, which are very resistant cells and remain dormant until favorable conditions occur.

Final Thought

The above discussion summarizes that parasites are the single-celled or multicellular organisms that live in a host and are harmful to it, while bacteria are the single-celled organisms that can be beneficial or harmful.