What term describes the highest oxygen level that allows growth?

Prepare for your Microbial Growth Phases, Oxygen Needs, and Immunity Types Test. Use our multiple-choice questions and detailed explanations for each answer to enhance your understanding and ensure success!

Multiple Choice

What term describes the highest oxygen level that allows growth?

Explanation:
Oxygen tolerance has an upper limit for growth. Microbes can only grow within a certain range of oxygen levels, defined by a minimum and a maximum that still permit growth. The highest oxygen level that still supports growth is called the maximum permissive oxygen concentration. It represents the upper edge of the organism’s tolerance; exceed it and oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species impairs enzymes and damages cells, stopping growth. The other terms describe different parts of that range or different oxygen requirements: the minimum permissive concentration is the lower bound for growth, an obligate aerobe must have oxygen to grow, and a microaerophile grows best at lower-than-atmospheric oxygen levels rather than at the upper limit.

Oxygen tolerance has an upper limit for growth. Microbes can only grow within a certain range of oxygen levels, defined by a minimum and a maximum that still permit growth. The highest oxygen level that still supports growth is called the maximum permissive oxygen concentration. It represents the upper edge of the organism’s tolerance; exceed it and oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species impairs enzymes and damages cells, stopping growth. The other terms describe different parts of that range or different oxygen requirements: the minimum permissive concentration is the lower bound for growth, an obligate aerobe must have oxygen to grow, and a microaerophile grows best at lower-than-atmospheric oxygen levels rather than at the upper limit.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy