Which type of organisms exclusively respire in the presence of oxygen?

Obligate aerobes are organisms that require oxygen for their survival and growth because they rely on aerobic respiration to produce energy. These organisms possess the necessary enzymes, such as catalase and superoxide dismutase, to neutralize harmful oxidative byproducts that arise during the metabolic processes involving oxygen. This characteristic sets obligate aerobes apart from other types of organisms, such as facultative anaerobes, which can switch between aerobic respiration and fermentation depending on the availability of oxygen. Obligate anaerobes, conversely, cannot tolerate oxygen and rely exclusively on anaerobic pathways for energy production. Microaerophiles require lower levels of oxygen than is found in atmospheric air, but they still depend on oxygen for their respiration. Therefore, the defining trait of obligate aerobes is their strict dependence on oxygen, making them the correct answer in this context.