Anaerobes Anaerobic bacteria Anaerobic bacteria are widely distributed in nature.
Many anaerobes are common soil bacteria while many others make up part of the normal flora.
In the absence of these enzymes, oxygen products that include superoxide, hydroxy radical and singlet oxygen can cause damage to cellular constituents. Notably, it is the superoxide moiety that is responsible for generation of the hydroxy radical and the singlet oxygen species. The fact that most of the human normal flora is composed of anaerobic bacteria suggests that anaerobic infections might be of medical concern. Indeed, anaerobic infections can occur in a variety of body sites and involve many different genera. That is, if given the opportunity, they can inflict serious and occasionally life-threatening disease.