Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacteria

Aerobic vs Anaerobic Bacteria

There are two types of organisms and tiny single-celled bacteria called aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the human body. Aerobics are able to use oxygen, whereas anaerobic bacteria can sustain itself without the presence of oxygen. Aerobic bacteria can detoxify oxygen, whereas anaerobic bacteria cannot sufficiently break down food molecules as much as aerobic bacteria.

Aerobic bacteria gets energy from food when compared to anaerobic, that can survive in places where there is less oxygen, such as human guts. Some anaerobic bacteria also causes diseases in those areas of the human body where there is less oxygen supplied. Aerobic bacteria cannot grow without an ample supply of oxygen involved in a chemical reaction, whereas the anaerobic term does not imply this.

Aerobic bacteria, when compared to anaerobic bacteria, uses O2 for cellular respiration. Anaerobic respiration means an energy cycle with less efficiency to produce energy. Aerobic respiration is energy given off by a complex process when O2 and glucose metabolize together inside the cell’s mitochondria. Usually in runners, the body can go into an oxygen debt state when he runs fast. This causes anaerobic respiration, which allows the production of lactic acid crystals in the muscles. This causes the muscle to hurt, and is healed by massaging the area to dissolve or flush away the crystals with the help of the blood stream.

Anaerobic bacteria versus aerobic bacteria occurs in fermentation. Aerobic bacteria uses the oxygen present in the air for energy metabolism, versus anaerobic bacteria that does not need oxygen from the air for energy metabolism

This can be understood by doing an experiment to identify them by growing aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in a liquid culture. Aerobic bacteria will gather on top to inhale most of the oxygen in order to survive, whereas anaerobic bacteria will rather collect on the bottom to avoid the oxygen.

Almost all animals and humans are obligate aerobes that require oxygen for respiration, whereas anaerobic yeast is an example of facultative anaerobe bacteria. Individual human cells are also facultative anaerobes: They switch to lactic acid fermentation if oxygen is not available.

Summary:

1. Aerobic bacteria inhales oxygen to remain alive.
2. Anaerobic bacteria dies in the presence of oxygen, and therefore avoids O2.
3. Aerobic respiration produces energy with the help of a complex process in the cells.
4. Anaerobic respiration produces crystals, and causes pain in muscled areas.
5. Humans and animals, and most fungi, etc are all obligate aerobes that need to breathe and inhale oxygen to survive.

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