aerob

Aerob is a term that appears in several languages and disciplines with no single, universally accepted definition in English. In scientific writing, the closest standard terms are aerobe and aerobic. Aerobe refers to an organism that requires oxygen for growth and metabolism, while aerobic describes processes or activities that involve or utilize oxygen. Consequently, "aerob" is often seen as a misspelling or a regional variant of these words, rather than a distinct scientific category.

In biology, aerob commonly appears in discussions of oxygen requirements. Aerobic metabolism relies on oxygen to produce energy in cells, and aerobically active organisms include many bacteria, fungi, and animals. In exercise science, aerobic capacity or aerobic exercise denotes activities such as running, cycling, or swimming that are sustained over time and supported predominantly by oxidative metabolism.

In linguistics and etymology, aerob can surface as a shortened form or as part of loanwords derived from the Greek aero- meaning air. It may also appear as a typographical variant in non-English texts.

Because usage varies, readers should consult domain-specific glossaries to confirm intended meaning when encountering "aerob." See also Aerobe, Aerobic, Aero-.