4.2 adaptations & changing populations Flashcards
organisms adapt to exploit their niche to ensure it is different enough to avoid what?
competition
what is a niche?
the way in which an organism fits into their ecosystem through adaptation
what is adaptation?
specialising to suit the environment in which you live
what are the 3 types of adaptation?
behavioural
anatomical
physiological
what is a physiological adaptation?
internal workings of an organism helping them survive and reproduce
(physiological) e.g. poison production snakes can produce deadly venom to do what?
immobilise prey making them easier to digest
(physiological) e.g. some bacteria are able to produce what?
antibiotics that can kill other types of bacteria close by
(physiological) e.g. water holding in plants is useful for plants how?
cacti and dessert plants storing water in tissues helps them survive harsh conditions where they may go months without water
(physiological) the white Danish scurvy grass is adapted to deal with high what?
salt concentrations
(physiological) fish, birds and whales are adapted to be able to drink what?
salt water
(behavioural) what is a behavioural adaptation?
action by the organism helping them to survive and reproduce
(behavioural) e.g. survival behaviours are intended to do what?
increase an organisms chance of survival e.g. the fight or flight response
(behavioural) e.g. animals can display elaborate courtship behaviours to increase chances of what?
attracting a mate increasing chance of reproduction
(behavioural) e.g. seasonal behaviours help an organism do what?
cope with seasonal changes in their environment
(behavioural) give an example of a useful seasonal behaviour:
hibernation -slow heart and breathing rate to conserve energy, lowering requirement for food when it is too cold to hunt prey
(behavioural) e.g. what can plants do to get more light?
turn their leaves toward the sun
(anatomical) what are anatomical adaptations?
adaptations in structures that can be observed when an organism is dissected
(anatomical) give examples of body coverings and how they are useful in different species:
feathers on birds for flight fur on polar bear for warmth shell of a snail for protection waxy cuticle on plants to prevent water loss spikes to deter predators
(anatomical) what does camouflage allow an animal to do?
blend with its environment increasing survival chances as predators are less likely to spot them
(anatomical) give an example of an animal with camouflage:
snowshoe hare
brown during summer to blend with soil
white during winter to blend with snow
(anatomical) teeth differ in animals dependant on what?
what food they consume
(anatomical) what type of teeth do carnivores such as lions have?
large and sharp teeth to tear apart their prey
(anatomical) sharks have rows of teeth incase what?
some are lost
(anatomical) herbivores don’t have sharp teeth but molars for what?
chewing tough grass
