Question

Oxygen is toxic to

A) strict anaerobes.
B) strict aerobes.
C) aerotolerant organisms.
D) facultative anaerobes.
E) all of the above

Answer 1

Oxygen is toxic to strict anaerobes, organisms that lack the ability to handle oxygen radicals, making the correct answer A) strict anaerobes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Oxygen is toxic to strict anaerobes. These organisms, known as obligate anaerobes, are damaged by oxygen because they lack the metabolic machinery needed to detoxify oxygen radicals that can form in their cells. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is A) strict anaerobes.

In contrast, strict aerobes require oxygen for survival and would not be harmed by it as they rely on aerobic respiration to produce energy. Aerotolerant organisms can tolerate the presence of oxygen but do not utilize it for energy production; they have a fermentative metabolism.