Adaptation

Question 1

Define “adaptation”

Answer 1

a gradual change in characteristics of members of a population, which increases its chances of survival.

Question 2

What types of adaptation are there?

Answer 2

• Physiological
• Behavioural
• Physical

Question 3

What is a physiological adaptation? and example?

Answer 3

• Internal responses to external stimuli in order to help an organism maintain homeostasis.
• Ex. hibernation, cow has four stomachs

Question 4

What is a behavioural adaptation? and example?

Answer 4

• Activities that an organism does to help it survive in its natural habitat/ These behaviours can be learned or instinctive.
• Ex. migration

Question 5

What is a physical adaptation? and example?

Answer 5

• Physical features on an organism that help it survive in its natural habitat.
• Ex. Webbed feet

Question 6

Define “variation”

Answer 6

• Visible or invisible differences that help an individual in a population survive and is likely to be passed on from the survivor

Question 7

Do all variations become adaptations?

Answer 7

No, some are advantageous some are not. The ones that do become adaptations become more common and will be seen as a characteristic/trait of the population.

Question 8

Which type of reproduction produces more variation?

Answer 8

Sexual, due to the recombination of genetic information

Question 9

Define “mutations”

Answer 9

Changes in the genetics material of an organism

Question 10

What is a mutagen?

Answer 10

Agents that cause mutations

Question 11

What are some examples of mutagens?

Answer 11

• UV radiations
• Environmental agents

Question 12

What happens if the mutation occurs in the somatic cells?

Answer 12

the mutation will disappear when the organism dies.

Question 13

What happens if the mutation alters the DNA in a gametic call?

Answer 13

the mutation may be passed down

Question 14

What is selective advantage?

Answer 14

the characteristics of an organism that enables it to survive and reproduce better and other organisms in a population in a given environment

Question 15

What is an example or selective advantage?

Answer 15

Superbugs: they reproduce quickly meaning they can adapt to changing environments quickly

Question 16

What is a staphylococcus infection?

Answer 16

• Its a type of selective advantage that describes when cells appear to be identical but some may have mutations that make them resistant to antibiotics.
• They reproduce quickly (asexually), by dividing as quickly as every 20 min
• This makes it hard to develop effective antibiotics

Question 17

Define “natural selection”

Answer 17

Nature selects which organisms will survive based on traits that give them an advantage in the environment.

Question 18

Define “selective pressures”

Answer 18

Any environmental condition can be said to select for certain characteristics in some individuals and select against different characteristics in other individuals

Question 19

What is an example of selective pressure?

Answer 19

Bird population. some have wider beaks than others and if there was an environmental change that made having a wider break an advantage, these wide beak birds would be more likely to survive and pass on their genes to their offspring.