Streptococcus mitis is a unique bacterium… It made its way from Earth to the Moon!
Read the full story here…
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Dear Dr RKA,
the article is interesting and i ve a question:is the ability of streptococcus to live on the moon has something associated with its anaerobic living character?
does “anaerobic” means living without oxygen completely?
other bacteria which are a naerobic can live on the moon?
all I know about anaerobic bacteria is that it has an electron acceptor other than oxygen used by the aerobic bacteria in oxidative phosphorylation.
i hope this is right!
i found the clear answer on John L’s bacteriology pages:
[Strict or Obligate] Aerobe: An organism that is capable of using oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor [i.e., aerobic respiration], can tolerate a level of oxygen equivalent to or higher than that present in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen), and has a strictly respiratory type of metabolism. Some aerobes may also be capable of growing anaerobically with electron acceptors other than oxygen [i.e., anaerobic respiration].
Facultative anaerobe: An organism that can grow well both in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of a level of oxygen equivalent to that in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen). Some are capable of growing aerobically by respiring with oxygen and anaerobically by fermentation [anaerobic respiration is also possible]; others have a strictly fermentative type of metabolism and do not respire with oxygen. [We form the "aerotolerant anaerobe" category with the latter type; see below.]
Microaerophile: An organism that is capable of oxygen-dependent growth but cannot grow in the presence of a level of oxygen equivalent to that present in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen). Oxygen-dependant growth [i.e., aerobic respiration] occurs only at low oxygen levels. In addition to being able to respire with oxygen, some microaerophiles may be capable of respiring anaerobically with electron acceptors other than oxygen.
[Strict or Obligate] Anaerobe: An organism that is incapable of oxygen-dependent growth and cannot grow in the presence of an oxygen concentration equivalent to that present in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen). Some anaerobes may have a fermentative type of metabolism; others may carry out anaerobic respiration in which a terminal electron acceptor other than oxygen is used. [The primary consideration for defining an organism as a strict anaerobe is its total intolerance of oxygen.]
Great effort “s. positive.”
You really do a god job finding the answers to all your questions.
These definitions have been a part of the General Microbiology course in the first semester. I don’t feel we need to add them to the practical classes of the second semester.
Monday 9 April, 2007 at 6:13 pm |
Dear Dr RKA,
the article is interesting and i ve a question:is the ability of streptococcus to live on the moon has something associated with its anaerobic living character?
does “anaerobic” means living without oxygen completely?
other bacteria which are a naerobic can live on the moon?
Monday 16 April, 2007 at 2:13 pm |
all I know about anaerobic bacteria is that it has an electron acceptor other than oxygen used by the aerobic bacteria in oxidative phosphorylation.
i hope this is right!
Tuesday 1 May, 2007 at 11:18 am |
i found the clear answer on John L’s bacteriology pages:
[Strict or Obligate] Aerobe: An organism that is capable of using oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor [i.e., aerobic respiration], can tolerate a level of oxygen equivalent to or higher than that present in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen), and has a strictly respiratory type of metabolism. Some aerobes may also be capable of growing anaerobically with electron acceptors other than oxygen [i.e., anaerobic respiration].
Facultative anaerobe: An organism that can grow well both in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of a level of oxygen equivalent to that in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen). Some are capable of growing aerobically by respiring with oxygen and anaerobically by fermentation [anaerobic respiration is also possible]; others have a strictly fermentative type of metabolism and do not respire with oxygen. [We form the "aerotolerant anaerobe" category with the latter type; see below.]
Microaerophile: An organism that is capable of oxygen-dependent growth but cannot grow in the presence of a level of oxygen equivalent to that present in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen). Oxygen-dependant growth [i.e., aerobic respiration] occurs only at low oxygen levels. In addition to being able to respire with oxygen, some microaerophiles may be capable of respiring anaerobically with electron acceptors other than oxygen.
[Strict or Obligate] Anaerobe: An organism that is incapable of oxygen-dependent growth and cannot grow in the presence of an oxygen concentration equivalent to that present in an air atmosphere (21% oxygen). Some anaerobes may have a fermentative type of metabolism; others may carry out anaerobic respiration in which a terminal electron acceptor other than oxygen is used. [The primary consideration for defining an organism as a strict anaerobe is its total intolerance of oxygen.]
Tuesday 1 May, 2007 at 11:20 am |
i think we should have studied these definitions in our practical classes , anyway it is never too late.
Tuesday 1 May, 2007 at 6:50 pm |
Great effort “s. positive.”
You really do a god job finding the answers to all your questions.
These definitions have been a part of the General Microbiology course in the first semester. I don’t feel we need to add them to the practical classes of the second semester.
Tuesday 25 September, 2007 at 11:14 pm |
[...] An older story about “bacteria on the moon” [...]