Aerobic organism

An aerobic organism or aerobe is an organism that

can survive and grow in an oxygenated
environment.[1] In contrast, an anaerobic organism
(anaerobe) is any organism that does not require
oxygen for growth. Some anaerobes react negatively
or even die if oxygen is present.[2] The ability to
exhibit aerobic respiration may yield benefits to the
aerobic organism, as aerobic respiration yields more
energy than anaerobic respiration.[3] In July 2020,
marine biologists reported that aerobic microorganisms
(mainly), in "quasi-suspended animation", were found
in organically-poor sediments, up to 101.5 million
years old, 250 feet below the seafloor in the South
Pacific Gyre (SPG) ("the deadest spot in the ocean"),
and could be the longest-living life forms ever
found.[4][5]
Contents
Types
Glucose
See also
References
Types
Obligate aerobes need oxygen to grow. In a
process known as cellular respiration, these
organisms use oxygen to oxidize substrates
(for example sugars and fats) and generate
energy.[6]
Facultative anaerobes use oxygen if it is
available, but also have anaerobic methods
of energy production.[2]
Microaerophiles require oxygen for energy production, but are harmed by atmospheric
concentrations of oxygen (21% O2).[6]
Aerotolerant anaerobes do not use oxygen but are not harmed by it.[6]
Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria can be identified by
growing them in test tubes of thioglycollate broth:
1: Obligate aerobes need oxygen because they
cannot ferment or respire anaerobically. They
gather at the top of the tube where the oxygen
concentration is highest.
2: Obligate anaerobes are poisoned by oxygen, so
they gather at the bottom of the tube where the
oxygen concentration is lowest.
3: Facultative anaerobes can grow with or without
oxygen because they can metabolise energy
aerobically or anaerobically. They gather mostly at
the top because aerobic respiration generates
more ATP than either fermentation or anaerobic
respiration.
4: Microaerophiles need oxygen because they
cannot ferment or respire anaerobically. However,
they are poisoned by high concentrations of
oxygen. They gather in the upper part of the test
tube but not the very top.
5: Aerotolerant organisms do not require oxygen as
they metabolise energy anaerobically. Unlike
obligate anaerobes however, they are not poisoned
by oxygen. They can be found evenly spread
throughout the test tube.

When an organism is able to survive in both oxygen and anaerobic environments, the use of the Pasteur
effect can distinguish between facultative anaerobes and aerotolerant organisms. If the organism is using
fermentation in an anaerobic environment, the addition of oxygen will cause facultative anaerobes to
suspend fermentation and begin using oxygen for respiration. Aerotolerant organisms must continue
fermentation in the presence of oxygen. Facultative organisms grow in both oxygen rich media and oxygen
free media.

Glucose
A good example is the oxidation of glucose (a monosaccharide) in aerobic respiration:[7]

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 38 ADP + 38 phosphate → 6 CO2 + 44 H2O + 38 ATP

This equation is a summary of what happens in three series of biochemical reactions: glycolysis, the Krebs
cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

See also
Aerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion
Fermentation (biochemistry)
Aerobic vaginitis
Oxygenation (environmental)

References
1. "aerobe (https://web.archive.org/web/20090628224336/http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/c
ns/cns_hl_dorlands_split.jsp?pg=/ppdocs/us/common/dorlands/dorland/one/000002016.ht
m)" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
2. Hentges DJ (1996). "17: Anaerobes:General Characteristics". In Baron S (ed.). Medical
Microbiology (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7638/) (4 ed.). Galveston, Texas:
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. PMID 21413255 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.
nih.gov/21413255). Retrieved 24 July 2016.
3. Metals, Microbes, and Minerals - The Biogeochemical Side of Life (https://www.worldcat.org/
oclc/1201187551). Kroneck, Peter, Sosa Torres, Martha, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
(1. Auflage ed.). Berlin. ISBN 978-3-11-058890-3. OCLC 1201187551 (https://www.worldcat.
org/oclc/1201187551).
4. Wu, Katherine J. (28 July 2020). "These Microbes May Have Survived 100 Million Years
Beneath the Seafloor - Rescued from their cold, cramped and nutrient-poor homes, the
bacteria awoke in the lab and grew" (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/science/microbes
-100-million-years-old.html). Retrieved 31 July 2020.
5. Morono, Yuki; et al. (28 July 2020). "Aerobic microbial life persists in oxic marine sediment
as old as 101.5 million years" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7387439).
Nature Communications. 11 (3626): 3626. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.3626M (https://ui.adsab
s.harvard.edu/abs/2020NatCo..11.3626M). doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17330-1 (https://doi.org/
10.1038%2Fs41467-020-17330-1). PMC 7387439 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article
s/PMC7387439). PMID 32724059 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32724059).
6. Kenneth Todar. "Nutrition and Growth of Bacteria". Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology
(http://textbookofbacteriology.net/nutgro_4.html). p. 4. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
7. Chauhan, B. S. (2008).Principles of Biochemistry and Biophysics". Laxmi Publications, p.
530. ISBN 978-8131803226
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