10.7 Adaptations

what are adaptations

characteristics that increase an organism’s chance of survival and reproduction in its environment

what are anatomical adaptations

physical features (internal and external)

what are behavioural adaptations

the way an organism acts, can inherited or learnt from parents

what are physiological adaptations

processes that take place inside an organism

what are four examples of anatomical adaptations

• body covering

• camouflage

• teeth

• mimicry

how is mimicry an anatomical adaptation

copy another appearance of sound (harmless organism fool predators to seem dangerous)

what is marram grass

xerophyte commonly found on sand dunes

adaptations of marram grass to reduce rate of transpiration

• curled leaves, minimise SA exposed to air/wind

• hairs on inside surface to trap moist air, dec diffusion grad

• stomata dunk into pits, less likely to lose water

• thick waxy cuticle, dec water loss through evaporation

four examples of behavioural adaptations

• survival behaviours

• courtship

• seasonal behaviours (migration and hibernation)

what is courtship

when animals exhibit elaborate courtship behaviours to attract a mate, inc chance of reproducing

why would animals migrate

to move to a region where environmental conditions are more favourable (better climate or food)

why would animals hibernate

metabolism slows down to conserve energy, reduce requirement for food

what is innate/instinctive behaviour

ability is inherited through genes, allow organisms to survive habitat it lives in

what is learned behaviour

adaptations learnt from experience or observing other animals

three examples of physiological adaptations

• poison production

• antibiotic production

• water holding

what are analogous structures

body parts in different species that perform similar functions but have different genetic origin

what is convergent evolution

when unrelated species begin to share similar traits

why does convergent evolution happen

organisms adapt to similar environments or other selection pressures