Adaptation to a niche

• Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact with the environment around them
• Each species exists in a specific niche. The niche occupied by an organism describes the role of the organism in the community
• A successful species is well adapted to its niche, meaning that individuals in that species have characteristics that increase their chance of survival and reproduction
• Anatomical adaptations involve the form and structure of an organism e.g the thick layer of blubber in seals and whales
• Physiological adaptations involve the way the body of an organism works and includes differences in biochemical pathways or enzymes e.g when a diving mammal is under water, its heart rate drops significantly so that the blood is pumped around the body less often and the oxygen in the blood is not used as rapidly
• Behavioural adaptations involve changes to programmed or instinctive behaviour making organisms better adapted for survival e.g many insects and reptiles orientate themselves to get the maximum sunlight on their bodies when the air temperature is relatively low
• Successful adaptations enable species to exploit ever possible habitat and the different niches within each habitat. Most organisms have a mixture of adaptations that enable them to survive snd succeed in their particular environment