Aerobic organism


An aerobic organism or aerobe is an organism that can survive and grow in an oxygenated environment. In contrast, an anaerobic organism is any organism that does not require oxygen for growth. Some anaerobes react negatively or even die if oxygen is present. In July 2020, marine biologists reported that aerobic microorganisms, 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 , and could be the longest-living life forms ever found.

Types

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.
Falcultative organisms grow in both oxygen rich media and oxygen free media.

Glucose

A good example is the oxidation of glucose in aerobic respiration:
where glucose releases the chemical energy stored in the relative weak double bond of oxygen.
This equation is a summary of what happens in three series of biochemical reactions: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.