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Definition

noun

An organism that lives in environment that only has a low level of oxygen.

Supplement

Microaerophiles may use oxygen when carrying out aerobic respiration. Some of them can also perform anaerobic respiration.

Examples include Borrelia burgdorferi, a species of spirochaete bacteria that causes Lyme disease in humans, and Helicobacter pylori, a species of proteobacteria that has been linked to peptic ulcers and some types of gastritis.

Compare: obligate aerobe.