Adaptations

Question 1

What is an adaptation?

Answer 1

A characteristic that an organism has inherited that makes it suited to its environment. It is the result of a random variation that arises during reproduction.

Question 2

What are the three main abiotic factors that affect the survival of Australian animals?

Answer 2

Water, temperature and sunlight

Question 3

What is a structural adaptation?

Answer 3

An adaptation related to how an organism is built or structured. Physical features. (Eg. webbed feet of platypus)

Question 4

What is the main problem facing desert plants?

Answer 4

Balancing water for photosynthesis, and water loss for cooling purposes.

Question 5

What structural adaptation of Cypress pines leaves reduces water loss?

Answer 5

Its leaves are tiny and cylindrical, reducing water loss through transpiration.

Question 6

What structural adaptation of spinifex species reduces water loss?

Answer 6

They have tough, narrow and pointed leaves for reducing water loss.

Question 7

How are epidermal hairs a structural adatpation?

Answer 7

Epidermal hairs are structural features of leaves that trap a moist layer of air, resulting in a smaller difference between concentration of water in leaf tissue and water outside.

Question 8

What are the main survival issues for animals?

Answer 8

Getting food and water
Keeping cool or warm
finding habitat
reproducing
deterring predators

Question 9

Describe some structural adaptations of the thorny devil.

Answer 9

Has a body covered in large spikes, making it hard to eat. Has a false head made of bony material. Gold colouring makes its camouflage.

Question 10

Describe some structural adaptations of the wombat.

Answer 10

Pouch is rear-opening, so mother can dig, while joey is protected. Has rootless teeth that constantly grow, matching its diet of grass and leaves.

Question 11

What is a physiological adaptation?

Answer 11

Adaptations related to how the organism functions, its internal processes for survival. Involve variations in metabolism or physiology of cells, tissues, organs.

Question 12

Describe the main physiological adaptation that allows deciduous trees to survive in cold environments.

Answer 12

They undergo abscission (falling) of their leaves, and enter a period of dormancy in response to low temperatures.

Question 13

Describe how tulips in central Asia respond to cold temperatures.

Answer 13

They flower in response to cold temperatures. They must be exposed to between 6weeks-3months of intense cold before they flower. Process is called vernalisation.

Question 14

What are halophytes?

Answer 14

Plants able to tolerate highly saline environments.

Question 15

What is an excluder halophyte?

Answer 15

A halophyte that has adaptations for preventing salt from entering the roots.

Question 16

What is an excretor halophyte?

Answer 16

A halophyte with adaptations for excreting salt through leaf glands.

Question 17

What is an accumulator halophyte?

Answer 17

A halophyte that concentrates salt on bark or leaves that eventually fall off.

Question 18

Describe the physiological adaptations that allow sea grasses to be salt-tolerant.

Answer 18

They minimise salt toxicity by increasing their water content in large vacuoles.

Question 19

Describe the physiological adaptation of the saltbush that allows it to exclude salt.

Answer 19

It actively transports excess sodium and chloride ions into bladder cells on the tips of hairs on the epidermis. When the bladders reach capacity, they burst.

Question 20

Describe the physiological adaptations of mangroves for surviving in high salt environments.

Answer 20

Salt in mangroves accumulates on bark and leaves, which falls off. Salt ca actively be secreted by salt glands on the leaves. Salt can be excluded from entering the roots.

Question 21

What physiological adaptation of the spinifex hopping mouse allows it to reduce water loss in deserts?

Answer 21

It excretes highly concentrated urine, as they can reabsorb most water from urine back into blood.

Question 22

Describe the physiological adaptations that allow penguins to live in cold environments.

Answer 22

The counter-current heat exchanger in its extremities. Blood travelling through the arteries to the foot warms the blood returning to the body in the adjacent veins. Penguins, like other arctic animals, converts food into a layer of blubber, for insulation.

Question 23

What is aestivation?

Answer 23

The dormancy of certain species during hot and dry conditions. Reducing metabolic rate, body temp lowered to that of environment.

Question 24

How does the cane toad aestivate?

Answer 24

It burrows underground and seals itself in a water-tight mucus cocoon to survive hot summers.

Question 25

What is a behavioural adaptation?

Answer 25

The actions performed by an organism in response to a stimulus that improves its chances of survival.

Question 26

What is a behavioural adaptation of the Mimosa pudica plant?

Answer 26

Also called the shy plant, its leaves will fold inwards when touched to protect itself. It is the result of turgor pressure changing, with water quickly flowing out of the vacuoles causing the cells to collapse.

Question 27

What is a behavioural adaptation of the venus flytrap?

Answer 27

It is adapted to living in nitrogen poor soils. It eats insects, mainly flies. Part of the plant is able to snap shut when it sense a fly on it by using sensory hairs. The plant will secrete digestive enzymes. The result of a loss of turgor pressure via water flowing out of vacuoles.

Question 28

What are ectotherms and how do they regulate their body temperature?

Answer 28

Ectotherms (lizards, snakes) have body temperatures that fluctuate dramatically because they are heavily influence by the environmental temperature. These organisms use their behaviour (seek shade) to regulate their body temp.

Question 29

What behaviours does the Eastern Brown Snake exhibit to regulate its temperature?

Answer 29

It will become more active at night if daytime temps are too high. It will shelter in shade in hot days. It will baks in sun on cold days.

Question 30

What behaviours does the Central Netted Dragon exhibit to regulate its temperature?

Answer 30

In the cold, it will lie in sun, ensuring most of its body is exposed to sunlight. If too hot, it will burrow and hunt at night.

Question 31

What social behavior do meerkats exhibit as adaptations?

Answer 31

Meerkats allocate a sentry to watch guard for predators while the rest of the community is foraging for food undergound.