Bacterial Respiration: Obligate Aerobes Prefer Oxygen‑Dependent Energy Production

The bacterium described is an obligate aerobe—it requires oxygen for growth and uses aerobic respiration as its primary energy‑generating pathway.

Key Points

• Aerobic respiration (with O₂) yields ~36–38 ATP per glucose; highly efficient.
• Lactic acid fermentation (anaerobic) yields only 2 ATP per glucose; used by facultative anaerobes when O₂ is absent.
• The bacterium cannot grow without oxygen, ruling out facultative anaerobes (which can switch to fermentation).
• Therefore, it relies exclusively on aerobic respiration when oxygen is present.

This metabolic profile is typical of many pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis).