adaptations

• adaptations are characteristics of an organism that makes it fit for its environment
• adaptations can be general or specific
• a general adaptation examples: having legs to walk or fins to swim
• a specific adaptation: a specific feature that helps an organism survive in a particular environment
• adaptations are classified as structural, physiological or behavioural
• structural adaptations are physical features of an organism that help it survive in its environment
• physiological adaptations are internal or cellular processes of an organism that allow them to survive in its environment
• behavioural adaptations are actions of an organism that allow it to survive in its environment
• adaptation can also refer to the process of a population of organisms change over time to suit their environment
• animals lose heat from body surfaces in contact with the surrounding air or water
• decreasing the surface reduces heat loss
• increasing the surface area increases heat loss
• small surface area: volume - cold climates
• large surface area: volume - hot climates
• animals in cold climates:

  • thick oily fur coats
  • layers of blubber (fat) under the skin
  • small ears
  • may change colour in summer
  • large furry feet
  • often longer snout
  • rounder body shape
  • short legs
• animals in hot climates:

  • large thin ears
  • little body fat
  • thin silky fur
  • long limbs to spread heat
  • often only active at night
  • more elongated body shape
  • long legs
• plants in cold climates:

  • small, usually less than 30cm to avoid wind
  • dark to absorb solar heat
  • small waxy leaves or needles
  • some are covered in hair
  • some grow in clumps for protection
  • dish-like flowers that follow the sun
  • saxifrage, arctic willow, bear berry, arctic flower
• plants in hot climates:

  • some store water in stems or leaves (succulents)
  • long root systems spread out wide or go deep into the ground to absorb water
  • spines to protect from being eaten
  • slower growing, requires less energy
  • flowers that open at night lure pollinators who tend to be active at night
  • hair helps shade the plant, reducing water loss
• trees in cold climates:

  • many are evergreen
  • many have needle-like leaves to lose less water
  • waxy coating on needles
  • needles are dark in colour
  • branches which droop downward
• a general adaptation is a broad or general characteristic of an organism that allows it to survive in its environment