Obligate aerobe

An obligate aerobe is an organism that requires oxygen to grow. Through cellular respiration, these organisms use oxygen to metabolise substances, like sugars or fats, to obtain energy. In this type of respiration, oxygen serves as the terminal electron acceptor for the electron transport chain. Aerobic respiration has the advantage of yielding more energy (adenosine triphosphate or ATP) than fermentation or anaerobic respiration, but obligate aerobes are subject to high levels of oxidative stress.

Table 1. Terms used to describe O2 Relations of Microorganisms.
Group Environment O2 Effect
Aerobic Anaerobic
Obligate Aerobe Growth No growth Required (used for aerobic respiration)
Obligate Anaerobe No growth Growth Toxic
Facultative Anaerobe (Facultative Aerobe) Growth Growth Not required for growth but used when available
Microaerophile Growth if level is not too high No growth Required but at levels below 0.2 atm
Aerotolerant Anaerobe Growth Growth Not required and not used
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