Is bacterial respiration a continuous process? Respiration in micro-organisms is the process of releasing energy from food. There are two ways of doing so: Aerobic respiration occurs in the presence of oxygen and produces ATP from the complete oxidation of carbohydrates or fatty acids. Anaerobic respiration involves incomplete oxidation in the absence of oxygen. No matter the method, bacterial respiration is thought of as a continuous process that releases energy continuously. However, the word "continuous" is ambiguous. My question is: * Is the respiration continuous without rest (e.g. DC signal) where the bacteria are releasing energy at every stage of the respiration process. or * Is it alternating (Like human breathing (inhale & exhale)) where the bacterial cell produces energy during one stage of the respiration stages and takes a rest in a periodic rhythm (e.g. AC signal) before releasing energy again?

"Respiration" in this context has nothing to do with _breathing_ , it refers to _cellular respiration_. These are the chemical reactions that make ATP to be used in energy-requiring processes in the cell. Human cells do cellular respiration, too, and while we require breathing to replenish oxygen (and carry away carbon dioxide), this is not part of cellular respiration. Don't confuse them just because they have the same word in the name.

These processes occur more or less continuously in all cells; the rates can vary with conditions (for example, your muscle cells are going to do more cellular respiration when you run than when you sleep), but cellular respiration isn't breathing so don't expect it to be rhythmic the same way breathing is.