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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
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1992-09-02
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In biology, a description of those living
organisms that do not require oxygen for the
release of energy from food (carbohydrates,
proteins, and lipids). Anaerobic organisms
include many bacteria and yeasts. Obligate
anaerobes such as archaebacteria cannot
function in the presence of oxygen; but
facultative anaerobes, like the fermenting
yeasts and some bacteria, can function with
or without oxygen. Anaerobic organisms
release 19 times less of the available
energy from their food than do aerobic
organisms. In some bacteria, instead of
oxygen, an inorganic compound, such as
sulphate (SO4), is the final acceptor of
electrons stripped from food molecules during
their breakdown. In fermentation (as
practised by yeasts) the final acceptor is an
intermediate product of the glucose molecule
being degraded.