Question

Do bacteria require oxygen to grow?

Answer 1

Aerobes:

1. Organisms that grow in the presence of oxygen are called aerobes.
2. The final electron acceptor in aerobic bacteria is mostly molecular oxygen.
3. Water is produced from the final electron acceptor.

Bacteria:

1. They are unicellular organisms.
2. They are one of the very first organisms to evolve on earth.
3. They are prokaryotes and can grow aerobically or anaerobically (absence of oxygen).
4. Examples- Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, etc.
5. Examples of aerobic bacteria: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bacillus, etc.
6. Examples of anaerobic bacteria- Peptostreptococcus spp., Clostridium spp. etc.

Aerobic and anaerobic respiration:

1. Aerobic respiration takes place in presence of O₂ whereas anaerobic respiration takes place in absence of O_2.
2. CO₂ and water are the end products of aerobic respiration.
3. Whereas, alcohol is the end product of anaerobic respiration.
4. Aerobic respiration releases more energy than anaerobic respiration.