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breathe

  • A parasite found in salmon doesn't need oxygen to metabolize food. (Wikimedia Commons)
    The Breathless Parasite
    Walker Rhea
    Pretty much everyone knows that oxygen is a fundamental requirement for life as we know it, but oddly enough that’s not entirely right. There are many simple life forms, such as some kinds of bacteria and archea, that don’t have a major metabolic pathway that needs oxygen.