Bacteria and fungi are microbes, tiny living organisms that are too small to be visible to the naked eye. Due to their tiny size, they exist everywhere: from the air to soil, water, and even on our bodies. Millions of microbes make a home on our skin and even our internal organs, but while some are beneficial for our health and wellbeing, some make us sick.
Table Summary
| Bacteria | Fungi |
| They are prokaryotic organisms | They are eukaryotic |
| They reproduce asexually | They reproduce sexually and asexually |
| They can either make their food or depend on a host. | They depend on a host to manufacture their food. |
| Respiration is either aerobic or anaerobic | Respiration is anaerobic |
| Human bacterial diseases include tuberculosis, leprosy, and cholera. | Human fungal diseases are usually skin infections like Aspergillosis, Jock itch, and Athlete’s foot. |
Definitions
Bacteria are microscopic organisms with prokaryotic cells; this means that bacteria do not have a distinct nucleus or a few organelles (which also don’t have membranes).
Fungi are microorganisms with fully developed cell structures (i.e., eukaryotic) and a chitin cell wall. A fungus can either be unicellular or multicellular.
Bacteria VS Fungi
Fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually. As organisms, Bacteria reproduce by Binary Fission or conjugation which are asexual types of reproduction. Bacteria can either manufacture their foods or depend on a host organism for nutrition. Fungi cannot manufacture their food. Instead, they consume organic carbon from breaking down other organisms.
Fungal infections tend to spread quickly on the skin and can be itchy and red, causing some form of swelling and blisters. Bacterial infections also spread quickly but are not usually itchy and appear as small red bumps. For treatment, you need an antibiotic taken internally for bacterial infections, while antifungal creams are used to cure fungal infections.