Facultative bacteria gather mostly at the top since aerobic respiration is advantageous ie energetically favorable. As the name suggests one needs oxygen to function and the other does not.
The major difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria is that aerobic bacteria grow in presence of oxygen whereas anaerobic bacteria grow in absence of oxygen.
Anaerobic vs aerobic bacteria. As we mentioned earlier the most prominent point of difference between these two is the fact that aerobic bacteria require oxygen to survive while anaerobic bacteria don t. This can be attributed to the fact that aerobic species have the ability to detoxify oxygen. The major difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria is that aerobic bacteria grow in presence of oxygen whereas anaerobic bacteria grow in absence of oxygen.
Aerobic means involving oxygen so anaerobic bacteria can survive without oxygen. Normally organisms use oxygen to make energy but these organisms have found ways to get around this. Before getting into the details of how aerobic bacteria live it is first necessary to know the difference between aerobic and anaerobic.
As the name suggests one needs oxygen to function and the other does not. Aerobic bacteria in this case are the ones that require an oxygenated environment with a higher ph. The main difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria is that anaerobic bacteria use molecular oxygen as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain whereas anaerobic bacteria use other molecules or compounds as the final electron acceptor.
Aerobic bacteria need oxygen for the growth whereas anaerobic bacteria can grow in the absence of oxygen. Aerobic bacteria use oxygen as their ultimate hydrogen acceptor while anaerobic bacteria do not. Catalase the enzyme which splits hydrogen peroxide is found in most aerobes but is absent in anaerobes.
Anaerobic bacteria make atp without oxygen. They either do lactic acid fermentation where glucose is used to make lactic acid and two atp or ethanol fermentation which also uses glucose but makes carbon dioxide ethanol and two atp. Aerobic bacteria use oxygen and glucose to make 36 38 atp and carbon dioxide.
The main difference between the two is the fact that aerobic bacteria require oxygen to remain alive while anaerobic bacteria do not rely on oxygen for metabolic processes and survival. While aerobes are able to thrive in habitats that have abundant oxygen anaerobes may die in the presence of oxygen. Aerobics are able to use oxygen whereas anaerobic bacteria can sustain itself without the presence of oxygen.
Aerobic bacteria can detoxify oxygen whereas anaerobic bacteria cannot sufficiently break down food molecules as much as aerobic bacteria. Obligate aerobic bacteria gather at the top of the test tube in order to absorb maximal amount of oxygen. Obligate anaerobic bacteria gather at the bottom to avoid oxygen.
Facultative bacteria gather mostly at the top since aerobic respiration is advantageous ie energetically favorable. But as lack of oxygen does not hurt them they can be found all along the test tube.