Parasite vs. Virus
Main DifferenceThe main difference between the parasite and virus is that a parasite is that organism that lives in another organism which is called the host, and often harms it on the other side a virus is a small infectious agent.
Difference Between Parasite and Virus
Parasite vs. Virus
The parasite is an organism which feeds with parts or important products from another living organism known as host while a virus is a microscopic infectious pathogen which infects cells in living organisms.
Parasite vs. Virus
Parasites are eukaryotic organisms on the other hand viruses are not-cellular structures.
Parasite vs. Virus
The size of the parasites is from several micrometers like unicellular parasites to several meters like tapeworms whereas viruses are between 15 to 350 nm and can be easily seen with the help of electron microscope.
Parasite vs. Virus
Parasites can reproduce by both sexual or asexual reproduction while viruses are unable to reproduce independently as they only reproduce by subordinating and controlling the living cells.
Parasite vs. Virus
The parasites live on the surface of the body of host or in different tissues and organs. They only can come in contact with the host when they want to feed or use its host as a permanent habitat. Viruses are active only in living cells.
Parasite vs. Virus
Examples of parasites are fleas, tapeworms, lanceolate fluke, ticks, heartworms, Trichinella on the other side examples of viruses are adenovirus, herpesvirus, reoviruses, rhabdovirus, parvovirus, and retroviruses.
Parasitenoun
(pejorative) A person who lives on other people's efforts or expense and gives little or nothing back.
Virusnoun
(archaic) Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc.
Parasitenoun
(pejorative) A sycophant or hanger-on.
Virusnoun
A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure consisting of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and often causes disease in the host organism.
Parasitenoun
(biology) An organism that lives on or in another organism, deriving benefit from living on or in that other organism, while not contributing towards that other organism sufficiently to cover the cost to that other organism.
Lice, fleas, ticks and mites are widely spread parasites.Virusnoun
A disease caused by these organisms.
He caught a virus and had to stay home from school.Parasitenoun
A climbing plant which is supported by a wall, trellis etc.
Virusnoun
(computing) A program which can covertly transmit itself between computers via networks (especially the Internet) or removable storage such as disks, often causing damage to systems and data; also computer virus.
Parasitenoun
an animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant); the parasite obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host
Virusnoun
(virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein
Parasitenoun
a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage
Virusnoun
a harmful or corrupting agency;
bigotry is a virus that must not be allowed to spreadthe virus of jealousy is latent in everyoneVirusnoun
a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer;
a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistanceComparison Chart
| Parasite | Virus |
| A parasite is an organism, depends on its host for growth and survival | A virus is a small infectious agent |
| Organization | |
| Eukaryotic organism | Non-cellular organisms |
| Types | |
| Ectoparasite Endoparasite | Animal viruses Plant viruses Bacterial viruses |
| Size | |
| From several micrometers to many meters long | 15 to 350 nm |
| Reproduction process | |
| They can reproduce both by sexually and asexually | They are unable to reproduce independently |
| Localization | |
| On the surface of the host or present in different organs and tissues | They are active only in living cells |
| Examples | |
| Fleas, tapeworms, liver fluke, lanceolate fluke, ticks, heartworms, trichinella | Adenovirus, herpesvirus, parvovirus, reoviruses, rhabdovirus, retrovirus |
Parasite vs. Virus
The parasite is an organism that feeds and grows on its host while a virus is an infection causing pathogen that infects cells present in living organisms. Parasites are always eukaryotic while viruses are non-cellular organisms. The parasite can reproduce by both sexual and asexual reproduction methods on the other side viruses are not able to reproduce without the living cells of organisms as they control and use the living cells. In size, the parasite can be from micrometers to many meters long whereas the viruses size can be between the 15 to 350 nm. Parasites can be found on the surface of the host’s body as well as inside the host’s body while viruses are active inside the host’s body.
What is Parasite?
A parasite is an organism which lives in another organism that is known as the host and often harms it. A parasite depends on its host for survival. A parasite cannot live, multiply and grow without the host cell. Sometimes a parasite may kill the host. The parasite can also spread diseases. The parasite uses the host resources for its maintenance. Parasite varies widely in shapes and sizes. About 70 percent of parasites cannot be seen with the naked eye such as the malarial parasite. The parasite can spread diseases. Different parasites have different effects. Symptoms of diseases are skin bumps or rashes, weight loss, increased appetite, sleeping problems, aches and pains. There are three types of parasites, one is ectoparasite, and others are endoparasite and epiparasite.
- Epiparasite –They feed on other parasites that are in a relationship called hyperparasitism. For example, A flea lives on a dog, but the flea has a protozoan in its digestive tract. That protozoan is the hyperparasite.
- Endoparasite -These live inside the host. They include tapeworm, heartworm, and flatworms. An endoparasite lives in the spaces present within the host’s body. They include viruses and bacteria. Endoparasites depend on a third organism that is called a carrier or vector. The mosquito is a carrier for many parasites, including the protozoan known as Plasmodium, which causes malaria.
- Ectoparasite -These are parasites that live on the outside of the body, such as fleas, body lice, bedbug, crab lice, Demodex, scabies, screwworm, and head lice.
What is a Virus?
A virus is a tiny infectious pathogen that replicates inside the living cells of an individual. Viruses can infect all types of life present in the ecosystem. They may affect animals and plants to microorganisms Including archaea and bacteria. There are a million types of viruses. Viruses are found in almost all types of lives. The viral particles are known as the virions. Virions of each virus consist of genetic material (DNA or RNA), a protein coat that is called capsid and an envelope of lipids. The shapes of viruses are from simple helical to more complex. Different types of viruses may affect the different host’s cells. A virus is unable to reproduce without the host. A virus is capable of reproducing within the cell of the host by making the use of the cellular processes of the host cell. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell affected by the viruses. Depending on the presence of different types of nucleic acid, the viruses are divided into DNA viruses like adenovirus, parvovirus, herpesvirus and RNA viruses like reoviruses, rhabdovirus, a retrovirus. Based on different types of structure, viruses are divided into simple viruses that are made of nucleic acid and protein shell and complex viruses that are composed of nucleic acid, protein shell (capsid) and peplos that consist of lipoprotein and phospholipoprotein. Viruses are of two types:
- The extracellular -inactive form that is adapted to transfer the nucleic acid from cell to cell. It activates only when it enters a living cell.
- Intracellular – active form.
ConclusionConclusion of this article is that a parasite depends on the host for its survival and growth while a virus is an infectious pathogen.
