anaerobe

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Micro-organisms that grow in the absence of oxygen. Obligate anaerobes cannot survive in the presence of oxygen, facultative anaerobes normally grow in the presence of oxygen but can also grow in its absence.

An organism that can live without oxygen. Many fungi and bacteria are anaerobic.

Organisms that survive and thrive in the absence of oxygen. See Anaerobic Bacteria.

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any organism that can grow in an atmosphere devoid of dioxygen. A facultative anaerobe is also capable of growing in a dioxygen-containing atmosphere whereas an obligate anaerobe (or strict anaerobe) can only grow in the absence of dioxygen.

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An organism that lives and grows in the absence of molecular oxygen.

• facultative a. — a microorganism that can grow with or without molecular oxygen.
• obligate a. — an organism that can grow only in the complete absence of molecular oxygen.

(an′ərōb)
n

A microorganism that can exist and grow only in the partial or complete absence of molecular oxygen.

For a list of words related to anaerobe, see:

• Environment, Ecology, and Animal Behavior - anaerobe: bacterium that lives and grows without oxygen

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