Adaptations Noadswood Science, 2016

Monday, June 04, 2018 Adaptations To describe and give examples of adaptations and their benefits

Precise Learning Students should be able to explain how organisms are adapted to live in their natural environment, given appropriate information. Organisms have features (adaptations) that enable them to survive in the conditions in which they normally live. These adaptations may be structural, behavioural or functional. Some organisms live in environments that are very extreme, such as at high temperature, pressure, or salt concentration. These organisms are called extremophiles. Bacteria living in deep sea vents are extremophiles.

Habitats Different habitats are able to support different organisms, however plants and animals develop features to adapt to their environment – they become better suited to the conditions Think of the following organisms – how is a polar bear / camel / cactus / fish adapted to the environmental conditions of their habitat?

Adaptations A habitat is only populated by organisms that are adapted to survive there Adaptations are special features or behaviours that make an organism particularly suited to its environment – adaptations are a part of the evolutionary process Why is it important that living things are adapted to their environment? Adaptations increase an organism’s chance of survival and so increase its chance of reproducing

Adaptations Adaptations can be structural, behavioural or functional Structural – features of an organisms body structure such as shape or colour Behavioural – ways in which the organism behaves Functional – things the occur inside an organism’s body that can be related to processes like reproduction and metabolism

Polar Bear Polar bears live in the Arctic, which is very cold Adaptations of a polar bear include: - Black skin to absorb heat well White appearance to camouflage it against the snow and ice Thick layers of fat and fur for insulation Wide feet with hair on their soles to avoid slipping

Camel Camels live in deserts, which are hot and dry during the day but cold at night Adaptations of a camel include: - They can go for a long time without water (fat stored in hump) Slit-like nostrils and two rows of eyelashes to help keep the sand out Wide, flat feet to help them walk on the sand Thick fur to keep the sun off their skin (+ keep warm at night)

Cactus Cactuses live in deserts, which are hot and dry during the day but cold at night with <25mm rainfall per year Adaptations of a cactus include: - No leaves and small surface area (reduces water loss) Thick stem to store water Spines to stop herbivores eating them Shallow but extensive roots to absorb water as quickly as possible

Fish Fish live in the sea, where temperature is reasonably stable Adaptations of a fish include: - Gills so they can breathe under water Streamlined to move through the water easily Some are highly adapted, such as a shark, to detect prey via highly sensitive taste glands Some deep-sea fish have very large eyes, to detect what little light there is

Animal Adaptation Complete the animal adaptation worksheet – cut out the animal and write down how it is adapted to its environment

Animal Adaptation Elephant (dry grassland) – trunk to suck up water to drink and cool itself down; tusks for protection / mating / knocking over trees to eat; large ears to help it cool down; little hair so as to not overheat; large size aiding protection; large feet to support body

Animal Adaptation Dolphin (sea) – fins to swim; streamlined; air hole on top of head allowing it to breathe

Animal Adaptation Frog (pond) – long tongue to catch flies; camouflage; strong hind legs for leaping

Animal Adaptation Polar bear (Arctic) – white fur for camouflage; thick hair to keep warm; sharp claws for catching prey & gripping ice; large feet to stop it sinking into the snow

Animal Adaptation Zebra (grassland) – tall to spot predation; stripes for camouflage; strong legs for running quickly

Plant Adaptation Why do plants need water? Plants take in water through their roots in the soil – it moves up through the plant and is lost through the leaves in the transpiration stream Stomata in the leaves allow gas in and out for photosynthesis and respiration, and as they do this water is lost by evaporation

Plant Adaptation How can plants reduce water loss? Surface area: volume ratio is extremely important – most plants have reduced the surface area of their leaves cutting down the area from which water can be lost Some desert plants have small fleshy leaves with a thick cuticle to keep water loss down One of the biggest problems for plants is being eaten by animals – vicious thorns, unpleasant taste and poisonous chemicals are some adaptations

Daily Changes - Adaptations How are plants and animals adapted for daily changes? Most flowers open their petals during the day (for pollination), but close them at night for protection Some animals avoid predation by being nocturnal (come out at night) – however some predators specialise at hunting during the night! Factors such as the tide (in or out) also affect the distribution of organisms

Seasonal Changes - Adaptations How are plants and animals adapted for seasonal changes? Some organisms hibernate during the cold winter months when food is scarce Different sized coats are grown by animals, e.g. a summer and winter coat Insects spend the winter as pupae Animals store food during plentiful times in preparation for when food becomes scarce Some organisms migrate Flowers die off in winter as there are fewer birds or insects to pollinate tem Deciduous leaves lose their leaves (in case of permafrost)

Extremophiles Extremophiles are organisms that live in very extreme environments and can survive conditions that would kill most other organisms, e.g. high temperatures; high concentrations of salt in water; and high pressures Certain bacteria can live in hot springs or around deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where the water can be very hot Certain plants grow well in salt marshes where the salt concentration is too high for most plants (e.g. Samphire looks a bit like a dandelion but can grow close to the sea shore)

Extremophiles Thermophiles, a type of extremophile, produce some of the bright colours of Grand Prismatic Spring In Yellowstone National Park

Extremophiles Deep sea hydrothermal vents (extreme pressure and heat) have large communities growing around them These include bacteria and copepods as well as larger organisms which feed on them…

Blue Planet Watch the deep episode of The Blue Planet How are these organisms adapted to their environment?!

Practice Questions What are structural adaptations? What are functional adaptations? Give two examples of the type of conditions in which you might find an extremophile

Answers What are structural adaptations – features of an organism’s body structure that allow it to live in the conditions of its environment What are functional adaptations – things that go on inside an organism’s body that can be related to processes like reproduction and metabolism that allow it to live in the conditions of its environment Give two examples of the type of conditions in which you might find an extremophile – very hot conditions / salty conditions / high-pressure conditions