Anaerobic

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Without oxygen or not requiring oxygen.

Describing any organism or process which can or must exist without free oxygen from the air, such as the anaerobic bacteria which are responsible for the process of gleying.

Applied to conditions or processes not requiring oxygen; in the absence of oxygen.

A descriptive term for a process, such as fermentation, that can proceed only in the absence of oxygen, or a living thing that can survive only in the absence of oxygen. (Compare aerobic.)

The absence of air.

• a. bacteria — see anaerobe.
• a. effluent treatment — is usually conducted in deep ponds where air does not penetrate. A fully contained system is also available.
• a. exercise — exercise at high work intensity during which the needs of muscle metabolism for oxygen exceeds the capacity of the circulation to supply it and an oxygen debt is incurred.
• a. infection — one caused by aerobic organisms.

Look up anaerobic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Anaerobic is a word which literally means without oxygen, as opposed to aerobic.

In wastewater treatment the absence of oxygen is indicated as anoxic; and anaerobic is used to indicate the absence of a common electron acceptor such as nitrate, sulfate or oxygen.

Anaerobic may refer to:

• Anaerobic adhesive, a bonding agent that does not cure in the presence of air
• Anaerobic clarigester, is a form of anaerobic digester
• Anaerobic contact process, is a type of anaerobic digester
• Anaerobic digestion, (AD) is the naturally occurring process of anaerobic decomposition harnessed and contained to manage waste and/or release energy.
• Anaerobic environment, an aquatic environment with little available oxygen - see Hypoxia (environmental)
• Anaerobic exercise, a form of exercise
• Anaerobic filter
• Anaerobic lagoon, used to dispose of animal waste, particularly that of cows and pigs
• Anaerobic organism, any organism whose redox metabolism does not depend on free oxygen
• Anaerobic respiration, oxidation of molecules in the absence of oxygen
• Anaerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox, the microbial process combining ammonium and nitrite.

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