One of the most-prominent differences between bacteria is their requirement for, and response to, atmospheric (O2). Whereas essentially all eukaryotic organisms require oxygen to thrive, many species of bacteria can grow under conditions. Bacteria that require oxygen to grow are called bacteria. In most cases, these bacteria require oxygen to grow because their methods of energy production and respiration depend on the transfer of electrons to oxygen, which is the final acceptor in the electron transport reaction. Obligate aerobes include Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Clostridium tetaniThe causative agent of tetanus, Clostridium tetani.(more)Bacteria that grow only in the absence of oxygen, such as Clostridium, Bacteroides, and the methane-producing (methanogens), are called because their energy-generating metabolic processes are not coupled with the consumption of oxygen. In fact, the presence of oxygen actually poisons some of their key enzymes. Some bacteria (S. pneumoniae) are microaerophilic or aerotolerant anaerobes because they grow better in low concentrations of oxygen. In these bacteria, oxygen often stimulates minor metabolic processes that enhance the major routes of energy production. can change their metabolic processes depending on the presence of oxygen, using the more efficient process of in the presence of oxygen and the less efficient process of in the absence of oxygen. Examples of facultative anaerobes include E. coli and S. aureus. The response of bacteria to oxygen is not determined simply by their metabolic needs. Oxygen is a very reactive molecule and forms several toxic by-products, such as superoxide (O2−), (H2O2), and the (OH·). Aerobic organisms produce enzymes that detoxify these oxygen products. The most common of detoxifying enzymes are , which breaks down hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide dismutase, which breaks down superoxide. The combined action of these enzymes to remove hydrogen peroxide and superoxide is important because these by-products together with iron form the extremely reactive hydroxyl radical, which is capable of killing the . Anaerobic bacteria generally do not produce catalase, and their levels of superoxide dismutase vary in rough proportion with the cell’s sensitivity to oxygen. Many anaerobes are hypersensitive to oxygen, being killed upon short exposure, whereas other anaerobes, including most Clostridium species, are more tolerant to the presence of oxygen. Bacteria have adapted to a wide range of temperatures. Bacteria that grow at temperatures of less than about 15 °C (59 °F) are . The ability of bacteria to grow at low temperatures is not unexpected, since the average subsurface temperature of soil in the temperate zone is about 12 °C (54 °F) and 90 percent of the oceans measure 5 °C (41 °F) or colder. Obligate psychrophiles, which have been isolated from Arctic and Antarctic ocean waters and sediments, have optimum growth temperatures of about 10 °C (50 °F) and do not survive if exposed to 20 °C (68 °F). The majority of psychrophilic bacteria are in the gram-negative genera Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Achromobacter, and Alcaligenes. Mesophilic bacteria are those in which optimum growth occurs between 20 and 45 °C (68 and 113 °F), although they usually can survive and grow in temperatures between 10 and 50 °C (50 and 122 °F). Animal pathogens are mesophiles., Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like The term pathogenic means:, What color do gram positive bacteria stain?, What color do gram negative bacteria stain? and more., Whereas essentially all eukaryotic organisms require oxygen to thrive, many species of bacteria can grow under anaerobic conditions. Bacteria that require oxygen to grow are called obligate aerobic bacteria..