Question

You have inoculated a Clostridium species into a tube of media. After incubation, you observe that there is no growth, and you remember that Clostridium is an obligate anaerobe. What is the best explanation for the observed lack of growth?a. There is not enough water in the environment for Clostridium to grow

b. There is not enough oxygen for use when toxic oxygen is present
c. Oxygen in the medium destroys the enzymes needed by Clostridium to undergo aerobic respiration
d. Clostridium does not have enzymes to process toxic oxygen

Answer 1

D. Clostridium does not have enzymes to process toxic oxygen

Step-by-step explanation:

Obligate anaerobes are microorganisms killed by normal atmospheric concentrations of oxygen (20.95% O2). Oxygen tolerance varies between species, some capable of surviving in up to 8% oxygen, others losing viability unless the oxygen concentration is less than 0.5%. in other words, Obligate anaerobes are organism which can only live in environments which lack oxygen. Unlike the majority of organisms in the world, these organisms are poisoned by oxygen.

Therefore clostridium do not have enzymes to process this oxygen which is toxic for it