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Microorganism vs Virus - What's the difference?

microorganism | virus |

As nouns the difference between microorganism and virus

is that microorganism is while virus is virus.

microorganism

Alternative forms

* micro-organism *

Noun

(en noun)
  • (microbiology) An organism that is too small to be seen by the unaided eye, especially a single-celled organism, such as a bacterium.
  • The cud is then reswallowed and further digested by specialized microorganisms that live in the rumen.

    See also

    * macroorganism English words with vowel pseudo-digraphs ----

    virus

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun) (wikipedia virus) (Virus)
  • (archaic) Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc.
  • (pathology, microbiology, virology) 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.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katie L. Burke
  • , title= In the News , volume=101, issue=3, page=193, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola.}}
  • * 2001 , Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2001, p. 64)
  • Viruses are the smallest and most simplified forms of life.
  • A disease caused by these organisms.
  • (computing) A program which can covertly transmit itself between computers via networks (especially the Internet) or removable storage such as CDs, USB drives, floppy disks, etc., often causing damage to systems and data; also computer virus.
  • Usage notes
    Viri is a nonstandard plural and is only used jocularly.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Hyponyms

    * DNA virus * RNA virus

    Derived terms

    * viroid * viral

    See also

    * prion