4.2 adaptations & changing populations

Question 1

organisms adapt to exploit their niche to ensure it is different enough to avoid what?

Answer 1

competition

Question 2

what is a niche?

Answer 2

the way in which an organism fits into their ecosystem through adaptation

Question 3

what is adaptation?

Answer 3

specialising to suit the environment in which you live

Question 4

what are the 3 types of adaptation?

Answer 4

behavioural
anatomical
physiological

Question 5

what is a physiological adaptation?

Answer 5

internal workings of an organism helping them survive and reproduce

Question 6

(physiological) e.g. poison production snakes can produce deadly venom to do what?

Answer 6

immobilise prey making them easier to digest

Question 7

(physiological) e.g. some bacteria are able to produce what?

Answer 7

antibiotics that can kill other types of bacteria close by

Question 8

(physiological) e.g. water holding in plants is useful for plants how?

Answer 8

cacti and dessert plants storing water in tissues helps them survive harsh conditions where they may go months without water

Question 9

(physiological) the white Danish scurvy grass is adapted to deal with high what?

Answer 9

salt concentrations

Question 10

(physiological) fish, birds and whales are adapted to be able to drink what?

Answer 10

salt water

Question 11

(behavioural) what is a behavioural adaptation?

Answer 11

action by the organism helping them to survive and reproduce

Question 12

(behavioural) e.g. survival behaviours are intended to do what?

Answer 12

increase an organisms chance of survival e.g. the fight or flight response

Question 13

(behavioural) e.g. animals can display elaborate courtship behaviours to increase chances of what?

Answer 13

attracting a mate increasing chance of reproduction

Question 14

(behavioural) e.g. seasonal behaviours help an organism do what?

Answer 14

cope with seasonal changes in their environment

Question 15

(behavioural) give an example of a useful seasonal behaviour:

Answer 15

hibernation -slow heart and breathing rate to conserve energy, lowering requirement for food when it is too cold to hunt prey

Question 16

(behavioural) e.g. what can plants do to get more light?

Answer 16

turn their leaves toward the sun

Question 17

(anatomical) what are anatomical adaptations?

Answer 17

adaptations in structures that can be observed when an organism is dissected

Question 18

(anatomical) give examples of body coverings and how they are useful in different species:

Answer 18

feathers on birds for flight
fur on polar bear for warmth
shell of a snail for protection
waxy cuticle on plants to prevent water loss
spikes to deter predators

Question 19

(anatomical) what does camouflage allow an animal to do?

Answer 19

blend with its environment increasing survival chances as predators are less likely to spot them

Question 20

(anatomical) give an example of an animal with camouflage:

Answer 20

snowshoe hare
brown during summer to blend with soil
white during winter to blend with snow

Question 21

(anatomical) teeth differ in animals dependant on what?

Answer 21

what food they consume

Question 22

(anatomical) what type of teeth do carnivores such as lions have?

Answer 22

large and sharp teeth to tear apart their prey

Question 23

(anatomical) sharks have rows of teeth incase what?

Answer 23

some are lost

Question 24

(anatomical) herbivores don’t have sharp teeth but molars for what?

Answer 24

chewing tough grass

Question 25

What is co-evolution?

Answer 25

Adaptation of two organisms which evolve in tandem and become dependent on each other

Question 26

How is a giant panda adapted?

Answer 26

Large body mass
Sharp teeth to chew bamboo
Ability to walk and climb so their paws have good grip

Question 27

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 27

Unrelated species share similar traits due to adapting to similar environments and selection pressures

Question 28

(Changing pop.) all organisms are exposed to selection pressures what are these?

Answer 28

Factors that affect organisms chances of survival or reproductive success

Question 29

(Changing pop.) 1. Organisms show variation due to differences in what?

Answer 29

Alleles/genes

Question 30

(Changing pop.) 2. Organisms best adapted to selection pressure do what?

Answer 30

Increased chance of survival and reproduction

Question 31

(Changing pop.) 3. Successful organisms pass what on?

Answer 31

Advantageous characteristics

Question 32

(Changing pop.) 4. Overtime the proportion of individuals with advantageous adaptation does what?

Answer 32

Increasing

Frequency of the allele coding for this increases

Question 33

(Changing pop.) 5. Over generations the process can lead to what?

Answer 33

Evolution of a new species