lesson 8: structure and function in all organisms

adaptations

there are three types of adaptations; structural, behavioral, and physiological.

structural adaptations

relate to physical features
examples are teeth, senses, defenses, and limbs

arctic foxes

have fur coat that changes color for the weather: brown in summer, white in winter
have smaller ears for more directional hearing

### behavioral adaptations

can vary for every organism
humpbacks migrate to the antartic in summer for food
humpbacks filter krill through their baleen
male humpbacks sing to communicate

### physiological adaptations

internal mechanisms that help survive a habitat.
squid squirt ink to confuse predators
squid have axons that conduct electricity through their cells to decrease response time
camels have humps to store fat and a thick coat
camels rest early to prevent overheating

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reading 8.1

light comes into plants through their leaves
leaves come in different shapes and sizes
alocasia has large leaves to capture as much light as possible
duckweed has small leaves that are 1/8 inch across, because they can easily absorb sunlight
plants need water to make their food.
water enters a plant through its roots
maple seeds are also known as helicopters. the seeds sit at the bottom of a seedpod that allows the seed to spin as it falls. this slows the seed down and allows the wind to carry it.
dandelions have seeds under their fluffy hairs, allowing them to float far distances.
cattails and milkweed pods move similar to the dandelions
animals eat fruit, and as they move around, they leave the seeds behind in their droppings. the animals are crucial to spreading out the seeds.
plants can reproduce without seeds. plants can be grown from leaves, roots, and stems. this is known as vegetative propagation.

activity 8.1

Great white sharks uses its teeth/mouth to eat. They have around 3,000 teeth. They don’t chew, they rip their prey into bite size pieces and just swallow them. Their teeth are triangular, serrated, razor sharp, and up to 3 inches long
Whale sharks use their mouth to filter feed. They suction water at high velocities while stationary. They have filtering pods in their throat. These are broad mess pads full of pores that act like a sieve
Grasshoppers use their legs to move. They use them to walk, jump, and fly. The hind legs specifically propel them. Their wings are also used as gliding surfaces
The mole cricket uses their claws/front legs to dig tunnels for reproduction. They use their claws/front legs to make places for females to lay eggs, and to live in the cold weather
Seeds use their seed coats to protect the seed embryo from drying out. The seed coat can either be thin and soft, or thick and hard. It protects the seed from physical, temperature, or water damage. It also ensures that the seed stays in dormancy until the conditions and time is right for it to sprout
Elephants use their trunk to grab food. They eat up to 500 pounds of plants daily. They use the trunk to reach from high trees to low grass. Elephants spend 80% of their day eating. They don’t have teeth
Giraffes use their neck to bend down and reach up. They use their neck to reach food from high trees, but also to fight for mates/necking
Dodder plants use their branches for their parasitic function, attaching to plants to get food. Once attached, they produce haustoria that insert them into the plant.