Gr 11 Microorganism metabolism

Methods of Respiration

Microorganisms can also be categorised according to their mechanism of respiration:

• Obligate anaerobes respire anaerobically and can only grow in the absence of oxygen
• Aerotolerant anaerobes respire anaerobically but can grow in the presence of oxygen
• Facultative anaerobes can respire anaerobically or aerobically depending on oxygen availability
• Obligate aerobes only respire aerobically and cannot survive in the absence of oxygen

Bioremediation is the process by which microorganisms are used to return an environment altered by contaminants to its natural state

• The enzymes produced by specific bacteria may be able to breakdown contaminating material, so that it can be filtered out of the environment
• Examples of bioremediation include:

Extremophiles