Bacteria, Viruses, and ProtistsHistorical Interest in Bacteria |
What bacterium classification is based on oxygen? |
Bacteria can also be divided into four major groups based on their response to oxygen. Aerobic bacteria grow in the presence of oxygen; microaerophilic bacteria grow best at oxygen concentrations lower than those present in air—less than 20 percent oxygen. Anaerobic bacteria grow best in the absence of oxygen; and finally, facultative anaerobes can grow in the presence or absence of oxygen, with more growth when oxygen is present.