Question:
Why is it important to cultivate anaerobic micro-organisms in an anaerobic cabinet?
Answer:
The growth of strict anaerobic bacteria poses a specific microbiological problem because these micro-organisms may be killed by the presence of air. Dissolved oxygen in the agar medium of a Petri dish form toxic free radicals and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of metabolic electrons.
The obligate anaerobe micro-organisms are not able to detoxifying these active forms of oxygen.
It is therefore imperative to adopt an anaerobic cabinet equipped with air locks and filled with inert gases to cultivate stringent anaerobes.
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