Cards (11)

    • What are adaptations?
      Adaptations are features that allow organisms to survive in their environments.
    • What are the three types of adaptations?
      structural, behavioural, functional
    • What is a structural adaptation?

      A physical part or feature of an organism
      • the white fur of a polar bears provide camouflage in the snow so it has less chance of being detected by prey
      • Seals have a thick layer of blubber (fat) to insulate them against the cold conditions they live in
    • What is a behavioural adaptation?
      The way an organism behaves
      • Cold-blooded reptiles bask in the sun to absorb heat
      • Rabbits dig burrows in which to live in and raise offspring
    • What is a functional adaptation?
      Biological processes within the organism
      • snakes produce venom to kill prey
      • mosquitos produce chemicals that stop the animal's blood clotting when they bite, so that they can feed more easily
    • Adaptations to the cold regions
      • Animals here often have a small surface area to volume ratio to minimise heat loss due to their surroundings
      • A thick layer of fat or fur insulates them against the cold
      • These are examples of structural adaptations.
    • Adaptations to desert regions
      • Some desert animals have specially adapted kidneys which produce very concentrated urine, helping the animal retain water -this is a functional adaptation
      • Some are only active in the early mornings, late evenings or at night when it is cooler -this is a behavioural adaptation
      • Some animals have structures to increase their surface area to volume ratio, this increases heat loss (e.g. large ears of African elephants) -this is a structural adaptation
    • Small surface area to volume ration
      small surface area compared to its volume, this helps reduce heat loss
    • large surface area to volume ratio
      large surface area compared to its volume, increases heat loss
    • Extremophiles
      • Some organisms live in environments that are very extreme, such as at very high or low temperatures, pressures, or high salt concentration
      • Organisms that can live in extreme environments are called extremophiles
    • Extremophiles
      • Bacteria called chemoautotrophs survive by using inorganic chemicals to obtain energy (rather than using sunlight in photosynthesis as photoautotrophs do)
      • Other species can then use the bacteria as a source of nutrition – the bacteria are producers in these food chains