Transcript Plant and Animal Adaptations

Adaptations
Plant & Animal
Definitions of Adaptation
Characteristics that give an organism a
better chance of survival.
Special traits that help living organisms
survive in a particular environment.
Reasons for adaptations
To suit their habitat
Protection
Hunting
Movement
Reproduction
Types of adaptations
Structural – external characteristics
size and shape
Feet, eyes, bills, skin, fur, feathers, fat,
bones, organs
Behavioral - differing ways of reacting
to the environment
Nocturnal- Active at night
Arboreal- Glide in trees
Burrowing- Hole and tunnel excavated
ground
Types of adaptations
Physiological - internal characteristics
Hibernation
Ectothermic
Endothermic
Endotherms
Endotherms are animals that warm
their bodies mainly from their own
metabolism.
We call these animals warm-blooded.
Maintain a constant body temperature
regardless of changes in the surrounding
temperature
Ectothermic
Ectotherms are animals that warm their
bodies by absorbing heat from their
surroundings.
We call these animals cold-blooded
Body temperature fluctuates with changes
in the surrounding temperature
Types of Adaptations
Camouflage
Mimicry
Bright coloration
Physical structures: Ex: lungs, gills and
hollow bones
Homeostasis
Maintenance of constant internal
conditions in a varying external
environment.
Examples:
The thickening of fur in winter.
The seeking of shade in heat.
The production of more red blood cells at
high altitude.
Xylem, Phloem and cactus spines
Behavioral Adaptations
Songbirds seeking a mate
Hunting strategies of a wolf pack
Birds and mammals caring for their
young
Internal fertilization
Genetic variations can enhance the
survival of a population!!!
Migration and Hibernation
Migration- seasonal movement of
animals from one region to another
Hibernation- is characterized by low
body temperature, slow breathing and
heart rate, and low metabolic rate.
EX: Butterflies, birds, caribou, whales
Plant Adaptations
Xylem is a transport system in plants
called vascular tissue. Xylem tissue
transports water and soluble
minerals. Phloem tissue transports
sugars. These are adaptations!
Protection – thorns, bad taste, poison,
coloration, spikes
Obtaining Food – All plants do
photosynthesis and make glucose in their
leaves. The larger the leaves the more
sun they can capture.
Habitat: Dry deserts
Adaptations:
The spines serve: a number of
purposes in addition to protection,
provide shade, serve as a windbreak
to prevent dehydration from dry
winds, and help trap warm air close
to the plant.
The root systems of cacti are very
close to the surface of the soil,
making it possible for them to take
advantage of the slightest rain
shower.
External Features
Sensory Antennae
Important for exploration of space around
them.
The antenna is considered to be a true
limb that evolved from a locomotory limb
to a sensory limb.
More External Features
Exoskeleton of a horseshoe crab
Turtle/Tortoise shell-part of spine
Amphibians sticky tongue
Reptiles- poison fangs, eyes of
alligators above water, eggs laid on
land
Aquatic Adaptations
Aquatic animals also need oxygen to
live. They have to breathe in oxygen
that is dissolved in water or from the
air above the water, using structural
adaptations.
Examples:
Gills, Blowhole, gill chambers
(crabs), lungs (lungfish) and skin for
breathing (amphibians)
External Features: Fish
The Caudal Fin (Tail) is made of muscles
and moves the fish forward. The tail moves
side to side.
The Dorsal Fin (Back) keeps fish in a straight
line as it moves forward.
Pectoral Fin (sides) aids fish in maintaining
depth and flying
Pelvic Fin (underside) allows fish to turn
sharply, move up and down and stop
suddenly.
External Features
Mammals: Hollow structure of hair
insulates from heat and cold.
Bird Adaptations
Flight requires a number of special
adaptations such as feathers and a
strong, lightweight skeleton.
Examples of bird adaptations:
Hollow bones, feathers, diverse
beak, feet
Kangaroo Habitat: Dry inland
Australia, including deserts and
grasslands
Adaptations: It is able to go with out
drinking as long as green grass is
available and it adapts well to drought.
They can hop as fast as 40 mph (64
km). They use this as their first line of
defense. Kangaroos have a tendon in
the leg which acts like a rubber band,
conserving energy as the animal
moves.
The tail serves as a balance when the
animal leaps and as a prop when it
stands.
Habitat: Frigid seas
Adaptations: Black and
white colors. These colors
help camouflage them.
Their blowhole is at the top
of their head. This enables
them to come up and
breathe more easily.
Blubber keeps them warm
in the frigid seas.
Orcas are the fastest
mammals in the sea. They
can go up to 34 mph. Their
speed helps them catch
their prey.
Habitat: Wet, humid and hot
jungles as well as icy cold forests
Adaptations: A tiger's hindlimbs
are longer than the forelimbs, an
for jumping.
The forelimbs and shoulders are
well-muscled, and the forelegs
can twist inward, enabling the tiger
to grab and hold large prey.
The underside of the paws have
soft pads which allow tigers to
quietly stalk their prey.
Habitat: Underwater
Adaptations: Little or no
mechanical strengthening tissue in
stems. If these plants are removed
from the water, they hang limply.
They are normally supported by
water all around them and so have
no need of mechanical
strengthening.
Air-filled cavities often extend
throughout the leaves and stems of
aquatic plants, providing an internal
atmosphere.
Animals and plants are not the only
organisms to adapt.
Archaebacteria has adapted to live in
extreme environments.
Eubacteria have adapted to survive
in extreme situations by having a
thick cell wall.
Fungi is a decomposer: fungi
obtain nutrition from organic matter,
recycle nutrients. This is an
adaptation!