Texas A&M University (TAMU) BIOL206 Practice Exam 3

Obligate aerobes are organisms that require oxygen for their growth and metabolic processes. This is because they rely on aerobic respiration to generate energy, using oxygen as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. In the presence of oxygen, obligate aerobes can efficiently break down glucose and produce ATP, along with carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.

Without oxygen, obligate aerobes cannot carry out the necessary metabolic pathways for energy production, which can hinder their growth or lead to cell death. This oxygen dependency distinguishes them from facultative anaerobes, which can grow with or without oxygen, and obligate anaerobes, which cannot tolerate oxygen at all. The specific requirements of obligate aerobes underline the importance of oxygen in their life processes.