Oxygen requirements of bacteria
Obligate aerobe
Grows only in the presence of oxygen
Most moulds and some yeasts
Facultative anaerobe
Prefers aerobic conditions but may grow slowly if oxygen absent
Most food poisoning bacteria are facultative anaerobes, e.g. salmonella, as they may need to multiply in the intestines of their victims to cause illness
Obligate anaerobe
Grows only in the absence of oxygen
eg, Clostridium perfringens
eg, Clostridium botulinum
Micro-aerophilic
Prefer to grow in atmosphere of around 5% oxygen
eg, Campylobacter