How do environmental conditions and Genetic factors influence an organism’s growth? ALCOS #11

Weather The amount of rainfall, temperature, humidity, and seasonal changes all have effects on living organisms and their daily livelihood.

Drought This is a period of below-average precipitation in a particular region. This can cause shortages of water due to lack of rainfall, overuse of water supply, and/or due to high temperatures evaporating surface water. Drought causes plants and animals to be without food sources and water sources which can cause deaths in the population.

Drought also causes plant growth to slow or even stop, which also affects other organisms that eat them.

Drought Drought can also cause excess topsoil to blow away causing erosion and loss of nutrients. Ex: Dust Bowl

Average Rainfall for Mobile, AL

Flash Flooding Long periods of drought can also cause flash flooding when rains do finally come. These flash floods can kill animals and plants in their path.

Temperature Temperature affects: Each individual cell. Cells can only live between certain temperature ranges. Cell and organisms metabolism and the enzymes that break down the food molecules. Reproduction in animals and survival of young. Development and maturing of eggs and seeds. Behavior of animals-some migrate, some hibernate, others change eating patterns and mating patterns.

Availability of Nutrients If an organism does not have enough nutrients (food, water, vitamins, minerals) they will not be able to reproduce and they could die off. The availability of nutrients is determined by weather, the number of individuals living in the environment using the nutrients, the amount of rainfall, etcetera.

Malnutrition has adverse effect on the structural and functional development of the organism a s well.

Seasonal Changes The earth’s surface has different temperatures in different zones and some animals and plants can bear extreme heat or extreme cold, some survive well in moderate temperature ranges. There are animals whose body temperature fluctuates in different seasonal conditions. Some organisms migrate during different seasons to move to warmer places for survival. Seasons also affect the reproduction times and development times of organism as well.

Amount of Space Available for Growth Species can only survive within a given ecosystem and within a given amount of space. If the amount of space decreases the amount of animals that can live there will also decrease, due to overpopulation and lack of resource for the organisms to share.

Overpopulation produces excess gases, liquids, increases temperate, reduces the amount of available foods, sunlight, and nutrients.

Heredity The passing of traits from parents to offspring influences the different aspects of growth and development such as: height, weight and structure of the body, color of hair and eye, intelligence, abilities and instincts.

There are cases where the gene or genotype is modified, in nature, leading to the formation of a new characteristic. This is called mutation, which can affect the physical and mental capabilities of the organism and it’s survival.

Selective Breeding (artificial selection) This process is used by humans to develop new organisms with desirable characteristics. Breeders select two parents that have beneficial phenotypic (physical) traits to reproduce, yielding offspring with those desired traits. Selective breeding is done with plants, animals, and bacteria.

Disadvantages of Selective Breeding It can lead to loss of species variety. It does not have control over genetic mutations. It can create offspring with different traits. It could create a genetic depression. It poses some environmental risks such as higher chances of diseases spreading due to lack of immunity.