Ecosystems - Adaptations (GCSE Biology)

Adaptations

Adaptations

An adaptive feature is an inherited feature that helps an organism to increase its fitness – the ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Plants and animals are well adapted to different surroundings. These adaptations have helped them to survive and reproduce. They can be behavioural, structural and physiological/ functional.

Plant Adaptations

• Physiology is the study of processes in living organisms. An organism’s physiology involves the processes it undergoes to stay alive.
• Plants have physiological/functional adaptations. Some plants are specifically adapted in order to stay alive. Some are toxic to eat for predators, for example the Water Hemlock. Some on the other hand are resistant to antibiotics and pesticides. These advantages are internal or cellular features that help a plant to survive.
• Plants have behavioural adaptations. Some plants have modified their behaviour in order to survive. The Venus Fly Trap for example can trap insects in its leaves for food. More over, some plants that grow in arid climates stay dormant for long periods of time. They then begin to grow properly when the rain begins. Tropisms are also an example of behavioural adaptations.
• Plants have structural adaptations. The structure of certain plants have been developed to survive. For example, some plants, such as cacti, have thorns and spines to defend from predators. They could also be a darker colour, to absorb solar heat.

Animal Adaptations

• Animals have physiological/functional adaptations. Like plants, animals can be toxic or produce venom in order to add off predators. The spitting cobra projects venom from its fangs as a form of defence. This venom can blind predators. More over, organisms secrete pheromones to attract or repel organisms.
• Animals have behavioural adaptations. Courtship behaviours attract the opposite sex. They are ritualised actions to attract members of the opposite sex of the same species. They enable the development of a bond to raise offspring together. This is an example of a behavioural adaptation. Wolves huntings in packs is another example of a behavioural adaptation.
• Animals have structural adaptations. Birds of prey have very sharp claws and are incredibly strong, in order to fly fast and hunt their prey. The most common structural adaptation is the difference between predators and prey. Predators have eyes on the front of their face, whereas prey have eyes on the sides of their face. This allows the prey to view behind them, in order to run away, giving them strong peripheral vision. Predators on the other hand can judge distance very well.