Back to B7 Home
B7 E) Adaptations
B7 E) Adaptations
All organisms have adapted in order to be able to survive in the conditions that they normally live in. Some organisms live in environments that are very extreme, such as environments with a high level of salt, a high temperature or a high pressure. These organisms are known as extremophiles and we will be looking at extremophiles in more detail at the end of this section.
There are 3 different categories for adaptation of organisms; structural, behavioural and functional.
There are 3 different categories for adaptation of organisms; structural, behavioural and functional.
1) Structural
Structural adaptations are changes to an organism’s physical features that allows them to survive.
For example, animals that live in hot places (such as camels) are adapted to ensure that they don’t overheat. They have a very large surface area to volume ratio and a thin layer of fat and fur. Camels also have a sandy camouflage to blend into the desert and avoid being seen by predators. Camels have large feet to prevent them from sinking in the sand; their large feet also makes it easier for camels to walk. A final adaptation for camels is that they have long eyelashes to prevent sand from entering their eyes.
Structural adaptations are changes to an organism’s physical features that allows them to survive.
For example, animals that live in hot places (such as camels) are adapted to ensure that they don’t overheat. They have a very large surface area to volume ratio and a thin layer of fat and fur. Camels also have a sandy camouflage to blend into the desert and avoid being seen by predators. Camels have large feet to prevent them from sinking in the sand; their large feet also makes it easier for camels to walk. A final adaptation for camels is that they have long eyelashes to prevent sand from entering their eyes.
Artic animals (such as artic foxes) are adapted to reduce heat loss. These animals have a small surface area compared to their volume (they are round and stubby). They are also well insulated with a thick layer of fat and fur. The layer of fat keeps them warm and they can use the fat as a food source when food is scarce. An artic fox is also camouflaged (white) to blend into their surroundings so that they can sneak up on prey and avoid predators.
Plants also have structural adaptations. The structural adaptations for plants depends on the environment that the plants live in. Cacti live in very hot and dry conditions. Cacti have swollen stems to store lots of water. They also have spines rather than leaves to reduce the amount of water that is lost through transpiration.
2) Behavioural
Behavioural adaptations are any changes in behaviour that increase the chances of survival. Here are some examples of behavioural adaptations:
Behavioural adaptations are any changes in behaviour that increase the chances of survival. Here are some examples of behavioural adaptations:
- Some birds migrate to warmer climates during the winter. Swallows migrate from the UK to Africa for the winter months. By migrating, the birds avoid all of the issues that are associated with winter (cold, lack of food etc).
- Some animals have adapted to hunt in packs. For example, lions and wolves hunt their prey in packs.
- Some animals change their behaviour depending on the weather/ temperature. For example, lizards and snakes lie in the sun in the morning to use the suns heat to increase their temperature. When it gets too hot, they leave the sun and lie in the shade.
- A final behavioural adaptation is mating rituals, which can take a variety of different forms. Some animals like peacocks put on a show to attract a mate; a peacock will show his tail feathers to attract a mate. Other animals like deer will fight each other in order to mate.
3) Functional
Functional adaptations are changes in the internal processes of an organism. For example:
Functional adaptations are changes in the internal processes of an organism. For example:
- Some animals hibernate during winter. Bumble bees, squirrels and bats are examples of animals that hibernate. By hibernating, the animals lower their metabolism, which conserves energy. Also, hibernating means that these animals do not have to find food in winter when food is scarcer.
- Animals that live in hot countries are very conservative with their water. For example, camels produce very little sweat and very concentrated urine (very little water with urea; their urine is a dark colour).
Extremophiles
Extremophiles are microorganisms (mainly bacteria) that live in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures, high pressures or high salt concentrations. Examples of these locations are hot volcano vents, geothermal pools, very salty lakes, polar regions, deep ocean beds and the tops of mountains. Extremophiles are highly specialised and adapted organisms.
Extremophiles are microorganisms (mainly bacteria) that live in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures, high pressures or high salt concentrations. Examples of these locations are hot volcano vents, geothermal pools, very salty lakes, polar regions, deep ocean beds and the tops of mountains. Extremophiles are highly specialised and adapted organisms.