4 Adaptation For Survival Flashcards
How do organisms survive in many different conditions?
Organisms have features ( adaptations ) that enable them to survive in the conditions in which they normally live
What is an extremophile?
An animal that has adaptations enabling them to live in extreme conditions of salt, temperature or pressure
What do plants need to survive?6
- light
- carbon dioxide
- water
- oxygen
- nutrients
To produce glucose energy in order to survive
What do animals need in order to survive? 3
- food from other living organisms
- water
- oxygen
How are herbivore adapted to eat plants?
They have teeth for grinding up plant cells
How are carnivores adapted for eating meat?
They have teeth adapted for testing flesh or crushing bones
How do animals adapt to hot dry climates?4
Long eyelashes - dust out of eyes
Fat stores to convert fat to water via respiration
Wide feat to spread weight
Reduced body fat - reduces insulation
Increase surface area - increases heat loss by radiation
Decrease surface area - reduce area ofwater loss
Nocturnal to reduce sweat loss
How do animals adapt to very cold climates?3
- small surface area : volume ratio
- thick insulating layers of fat and fur
- small ears / feat to reduce energy loss
What advantage does changing coat colour all year round give?
Camouflage all year round
How do plants loose water?
Plants lost water vapour from the surface of their leaves (transpiration)
How are plants adapted to live in dry conditions?
Fewer stomata to reduce transpiration
Thick stem stores water
Thick wax layer to reduce transpiration
- having extensive root systems absorb more water
- curled leaves to reduce the surface area for transpiration
What do animals compete for? 3
Food
Territory
Mates
What is competition?
When animals compete with eachother for food territories and mates
What makes an animal a good competitor?
An animal that is adapted to be better at finding food or a mate than the other members of its own species
What do plants compete for?3
Light
Water
Nutrients ( minerals ) from the soil
Space
What non living factors affect the distribution of living things? 6
- water
- sunlight
- temperature
- rainfall
- oxygen concentration
- ph water / soil
How can we measure environmental changes?4
- by non living indicators eg oxygen meters, rain gauges, thermometers
What living factors affect the distribution of organisms? 3
Food source
Predators
Nesting sites
Why might an organism not be able to live near to the high tide level?
Wrong food
Exposed to specific predators
Can’t tolerate high salt concentration
Can’t tolerate reduced contact with seawater
What do animals compete for?
Food Mates Land Territory Status
How can a disease resistant gene cause population to re increase?
Mutant gene
Provides advantage
So survivors reproduce
Gene passed on
How do plants adapt to cold environments?
Smaller leaves - reduced transpiration
Shallow root systems - avoids permafrost
Close to ground - reduces wind damage
How does information pass from a relay neurone to a motor neurone?
Release of chemical from relay
Chemical crosses gap by diffusion
Chemical attatched to motor neurone causing impulse
How do swollen leaves help a plant survive?
Stores water from other parts in the plant
How do thorns help a plant survive?
Protects it
How can animals be adapted against predators?
Camouflage - less likely to see prey
Warning colours - likely to confuse prey with a poisonous organism
Prickles - sharp and hurts predator
Long limbs/ streamlining - increase speed to outrun predator
Position of eyes - prey can escape sooner
How can genetically modified zebra fish be created?
Necessary genres cut out
Enzymes used to mature embryo
Genes transferred at early stage of development
Why are scientists worried about genetically modified animals?
Effects on food chains
Effects on humans who my eat them
My outcompete non GM animal
What can extremophiles tolerate?
High levels of
Salt
High temperatures
High pressures
What are invertebrate animals used to indicate?
Water pollution indicators
And
Concentration of dissolved oxygen in water
What do lichens detect?
Air pollution
Concentration of sulphur dixoide in the atmosphere
What are receptors in skin sensitive to?
Touch
Pressure
Pain
Temperature
What are the receptors on the tongue and in the nose sensitive to?
Chemicals
Enabling us to taste and smell
Examples of an effector?
Muscle - responds by contracting
Gland - secreting chemical substances
Why is temperature controlled in the body?
To maintain the temperature at which enzymes work best
Why is blood sugar level controlled in the body?
To provide cells with a constant supply of energy
How are ions lost?
Through sweat
Excess ions lost via kidneys in urine
How is water lost?
Lungs when we breathe out
Skin when we sweat
Kidneys in urine
Example of hormone regulation?
Eggs from a woman’s ovaries
Changes in the thickness of the lining of the womb
Function of FSH?
Secreted by pituitary gland
Causes eggs to mature in the ovaries
Stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen
Function of oestrogen?
Secreted by ovaries
Inhibits further FSH production
What may oral contraceptives contain?
Oestrogen and proesteogen to inhibit egg maturation
Why have shallow roots spread over a large area?
Increased water uptake
After rain
Why have deep roots?
Water storage
Stability
Safety from predators
How does wax help a leaf in the desert?
Protects plant
Reflects heat
Keeps plant cool
Reduces water loss
In a dry environment, benefits of curled leaves for a plant?
Reduces surface area and so reduces transpiration
Traps a layer of moisture around the leaf
How does the plant spread its seeds?
Wind
Mini explosions
Animals eating them
Stick to an animal
What stimulates LH production?
The pituitary gland
Describe how the roots of a plant respond to gravity?
More auxin on lower side of root
Extra auxin inhibits growth
Cells on the top grow faster and the root bends down
Describe how the roots respond to moisture?
More auxin on the side of more moisture
Inhibits growth on that side
Causing growth to bend towards the moisture
Explain how a stimulus reached the brain?
stimulates receptor in skin
To send a nerve impulse
Via the sensory neurone
To the spinal chord
Chemical released at synapse
Between sensory neurone and relay neurone
Impulse sent along relay neurone
Criminal released at synapse
Between sensory neurone and motor neurone
Impulse sent along a motor neurone to the effector
Stimulus?
Change in the envruonnt
Where is auxin made?
The tip of the plant
How do roots grow in plant?
Towards moisture
In direction of gravity
Difference between a reflex and a coordinated movement?
Brain is not involved in reflex actions because it would cause a delay
What is a nerve?
A bundle of neurones connected to brain or spinal chord
Advantage of bioluminescence?
See prey/predators
As it is dark
(To avoid being eaten)
Attract prey to get food
See mates to reproduce
Functions of receptors in skin?
Detect changes in surroundings
Convert information to impulse (to send impulse to sensory neurones)
What is a gene?
Price of DNA
That controls a characteristic
Advantages of preserving endangered species?
Maintain ecosystem
May be useful in the future
Retains biodiversity
Why might an organism not be able to survive in an area
Wrong food
Wrong temperature
Can’t compete
Exposed to different predators
