Adaptations Flashcards
What is meant by adaptation? (14 cards)
What is meant by adaption?
Living things (animals and plants) are adapted to their habitats. They have special features to help them survive….e.g a Polar Bear has thick hair to keep it warm whereas an African elephant has very long ears that it may use to keep cool. A cactus plant is well adapted to the desert….they have long roots to be able to collect water from a large area and can store water for long periods of time.
List the factors that plants and animals compete for
Plants and animals compete for many things e.g plants compete for sunlight .
Animals may compete for a mating partner
Identify and explain the common key adaptations of predators and prey
Prey has camouflage and good vision
Predators have good reactions and claws or whatever the weapon on their body may be
Describe the ecology of flamingos and wallabies
Ecology refers to their environment, habitat they live in, their diet, behaviours and fold in the ecosystem:
Flamingo :
Found in shallow lakes and lagoons
They prefer salty water (less predators)
Like warmer climates such as South America and South Asia
They stir up the mud with their long legs, filter the water through their beaks and find / eat small organisms (algae, shrimps)
Pigmentation -pink - food gives them this colour
Consuming algae helps maintain and balance their habitat
Prey : small organisms
Predators: birds of prey, wild dogs and reptiles eat their eggs and chicks
Threats: pollution, climate change and disturbance to breeding grounds by man
Wallaby:
They are herbivores
Found n forests, grasslands, bushlands and rocky areas
Australia, Tasmanian and nearby lands
Eat plants and leaves (herbivores)
Eat early morning or evening
Spreads seeds through their poo
Keep vegitation down from grazing
they are the food for larger predators (dingoes)
Marsupials - carry babies in their pouch for several months
Threats : humans (loss of land), hunting, road accidents, foxes
dESCRIBE HOW THE LEAF ADAPTED TO INCREASE THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Large surface area – maximizes light absorption.
Thin structure – allows light to penetrate and gases to diffuse quickly.
Chloroplasts concentrated in palisade cells – increases light capture.
Transparent upper epidermis – lets light reach chloroplasts.
Describe some adaptations for flight
Lightweight Body Structure
Hollow Bones (Birds): Bird bones are pneumatized (contain air spaces), reducing weight without sacrificing strength.
- Wings
Airfoil Shape: Wings have a curved upper surface and flatter lower surface to create lift through differences in air pressure.
Feathers (Birds): Specialized flight feathers provide lift and control. Primary feathers are crucial for thrust; secondary feathers help with lift.
- Powerful Muscles
Flight Muscles: Birds and bats have large pectoral muscles, particularly the pectoralis major (downstroke) and supracoracoideus (upstroke in birds).
Efficient Muscle Fiber Types: Many flying animals have muscle fibers adapted for endurance and rapid contractions.
- High Metabolic Rate
Efficient Respiration: Birds have a unique unidirectional airflow system in their lungs, using air sacs to ensure continuous oxygen flow.
High Oxygen Demand: Adaptations in the circulatory and respiratory systems support the energy demands of flight.
- Streamlined Body
Aerodynamics: A sleek, streamlined shape reduces air resistance, allowing smoother flight. - Enhanced Vision and Balance
Keen Vision: Birds and many insects have excellent vision to navigate and hunt while flying.
Specialized Inner Ear (Birds): Helps with spatial orientation and balance during flight.
- Behavioral Adaptations
Flocking/Migration: Many birds migrate long distances using learned and instinctive navigation methods.
Explain how the root hair cell is adapted
- Long, Thin Extension (Root Hair)
Increases Surface Area: The root hair greatly enlarges the surface area available for water and mineral absorption.
Close Contact with Soil: This extension penetrates between soil particles, maximizing exposure to water and nutrients.
- Thin Cell Wall
Short Diffusion Path: The thin walls make it easier for water and minerals to diffuse into the cell. - Large Vacuole
Water Storage: The central vacuole can store absorbed water and dissolved minerals.
Osmotic Gradient: It helps maintain a low water potential inside the cell, drawing in water by osmosis from the soil.
- No Chloroplasts
Underground Location: Since root hair cells are in the dark soil, they don’t perform photosynthesis and therefore don’t need chloroplasts.
Energy Conservation: Not having chloroplasts saves energy and space for other functions like active transport.
- Many Mitochondria
Energy Supply for Active Transport: Root hair cells use energy to actively transport mineral ions (like nitrates) against their concentration gradient from the soil into the cell. This energy is supplied by mitochondria through respiration.
Recall how water travels in a plant
🌱 1. Water Uptake by Root Hair Cells
Water enters root hair cells from the soil by osmosis (movement of water from a high to low water potential).
The water then moves across the root cortex, cell by cell or through cell walls, toward the center of the root.
🚰 2. Movement into the Xylem
Water reaches the xylem vessels, which are specialized tubes that carry water and dissolved minerals upward through the plant.
The xylem has lignified walls for strength and is made of dead, hollow cells to allow easy water flow.
🌿 3. Transport Through the Xylem
Water moves up the xylem due to a combination of:
Root pressure (pushing from below)
Capillary action (adhesion and cohesion)
Transpiration pull (main force—see next step)
💨 4. Transpiration from Leaves
Water evaporates from cells inside the leaf and diffuses out through the stomata (tiny pores).
This loss of water creates a suction force (transpiration pull) that draws more water up from the xylem.
Describe plant adaptations
🌵 Desert Adaptations
Desert plants, such as cacti, face extreme heat and scarce water. Their adaptations include:
Water Storage: Cacti store water in their thick, fleshy stems, which can absorb up to 200 gallons of water during a rainstorm.
Reduced Leaf Surface: Spines, modified leaves, minimize water loss and deter herbivores.
Wikipedia
Waxy Cuticle: A thick, waxy outer layer reduces water loss and reflects heat.
Root Systems: Some cacti have deep roots to access underground water, while others have shallow, widespread roots to capture infrequent rainfall.
🌳 Rainforest Adaptations
In tropical rainforests, plants face competition for sunlight and high humidity. Adaptations include:
Lianas: Woody vines that climb trees to reach sunlight.
BBC
Drip Tips: Pointed leaf tips that allow water to run off quickly, preventing fungal growth.
Buttress Roots: Large, ridged roots that provide stability and support for tall trees.
Epiphytes: Plants like orchids and bromeliads that grow on other plants, obtaining nutrients from the air and rain.
🌾 Aquatic Adaptations
Aquatic plants have unique features to thrive in water:
Floating Leaves: Water lilies have large, flat leaves that float on the water’s surface to maximize sunlight exposure.
Flexible Stems: Adaptations in stems allow plants to sway with water currents without breaking.
Aerial Roots: Mangroves have specialized roots that allow them to breathe in waterlogged soils.
Explain how different break types can advance or hinder survival
while plant adaptations are vital for survival, they often involve tr🌱 Root Adaptations
Enhance Survival:
Deep Taproots: Allow plants to access groundwater, essential in drought-prone areas.
Extensive Lateral Roots: Capture surface moisture from infrequent rains, increasing water uptake efficiency.
BBC
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Potential Drawbacks:
Energy Intensive: Developing deep or extensive root systems requires significant energy investment.
Vulnerability to Soil Disturbance: Shallow roots are more susceptible to damage from environmental changes.ade-offs that can influence a plant’s overall fitness in its environment. Understanding these adaptations helps explain how plants balance the need for water conservation, growth, and reproduction.
Who published the theory of natural selection
Charles Darwin
Describe how a process of natural selection leads to adaptation
Favouring individuals with advantageous traits that increase their ability to reproduce and survive in a specific environment
Define sexual selection
Natural selection arising through preference by one sex for certain characteristics in individual of other sex
Describe how natural selection leads to adaptation
Favouring individual within a population that possesses traits beneficial for survival
