Aerobic organism: Difference between revisions
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* Aerotolerant organisms can survive in the presence of oxygen, but do not use it as electron acceptor. | * Aerotolerant organisms can survive in the presence of oxygen, but do not use it as electron acceptor. | ||
Among the Eucaryotes, which include the organisms constituting the [[Animal]], [[Plant]], and [[Fungus]] kingdoms, as well as the [[Protests]], most organisms are obligate aerobes. | |||
Among the [[Prokaryotes]], constituting the [[eubacteria]], there are representatives of all the classes of oxygen metabolism. | |||
Anong the [[Archea]], the primitive prokaryotes forming a completely different line of descent from all other organisms, very few <!-- ? none--> of the organisms are aerobes. | |||
Thus,most [[anaerobic organism]]s are bacteria or Archea. | |||
Being an obligate aerobe, although being advantageous from the energetical point of view, means also obligatory facing high levels of [[oxidative stress]]. | |||
[[Yeast]] is an example of a facultative aerobe. Individual human [[cell (biology)|cells]] are also facultative aerobes: they switch to [[lactic acid]] [[fermentation (biochemistry)|fermentation]] if oxygen is not available. However, for the whole organism this cannot be sustained for long, and humans are therefore obligate aerobes. | [[Yeast]] is an example of a facultative aerobe. Individual human [[cell (biology)|cells]] are also facultative aerobes: they switch to [[lactic acid]] [[fermentation (biochemistry)|fermentation]] if oxygen is not available. However, for the whole organism this cannot be sustained for long, and humans are therefore obligate aerobes. | ||
Revision as of 17:59, 27 November 2006
An aerobic organism or aerobe is an organism that has an oxygen based metabolism. Oxygen radicals are toxic, and only organism which express radical-scavenging enzymes (like catalase and superoxide dismutase) can survive in its presence.
- Obligate aerobes strictly depend on energy production through aerobic respiration and are unable to survive for more than a few minutes in the absence of oxygen
- facultative aerobes can use oxygen, but are able to survive in its absence, through e.g. fermentation.
- Microaerophiles are organisms that may use oxygen, but only at low concentration.
- Aerotolerant organisms can survive in the presence of oxygen, but do not use it as electron acceptor.
Among the Eucaryotes, which include the organisms constituting the Animal, Plant, and Fungus kingdoms, as well as the Protests, most organisms are obligate aerobes.
Among the Prokaryotes, constituting the eubacteria, there are representatives of all the classes of oxygen metabolism. Anong the Archea, the primitive prokaryotes forming a completely different line of descent from all other organisms, very few of the organisms are aerobes.
Thus,most anaerobic organisms are bacteria or Archea.
Being an obligate aerobe, although being advantageous from the energetical point of view, means also obligatory facing high levels of oxidative stress.
Yeast is an example of a facultative aerobe. Individual human cells are also facultative aerobes: they switch to lactic acid fermentation if oxygen is not available. However, for the whole organism this cannot be sustained for long, and humans are therefore obligate aerobes.
Examples of Obligate Aerobic Bacteria: Nocardia (Gram positive), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram negative), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Acid Fast), and Bacillus (Gram positive).
Aerobes, in a process known as cellular respiration, use oxygen to oxidize substrates (for example sugars and fats) in order to obtain energy.