B1.4 Adaptation For Survival Flashcards
What’s an adaptation?
special features that makes an organism particularly well suited to the environment where it lives.
What do organisms compete for?
light water nutrients mates space
What’s an extremophile?
an organism that lives in an extreme environment including, high temps, high pressures
What’s a thermophile?
an organism that lives in very high or low temperatures
How are polar bears adapted to survival?
large paws for swimming
thick layer of fat to stay warm
nostrils close underwater so they can hold their breath for a long period of time
skin is black under their fur to absorb as much heat from the sun as possible
How are camels adapted for survival?
large flat feet to help them walk for long periods
thick fur on the top of their body for shade
last a long time without water
two rows of eyelashes to keep sand out their eyes
what’s a carnivore?
an animal that survives only off other meat
what’s a herbivore?
an animal that survives off only plants and vegetation
what’s an omnivore?
an animal that survives off both meat and vegetation
define competition
organisms have to compete with each other for food, light and space
define territory
the space an animal owns to hunt and bring up offspring
what does intra-specific competition mean?
individuals of the same species competing for things
what does inter-specific competition mean?
different species competing for resources
how are some plants adapted to survival?
cacti- spikes to keep predators away
- waxy surface to reduce water loss
-deep roots to absorb as much water as possible
marram grass- rolled leaves to trap moist air
-stomata sunk in pits to slow the rat of diffusion
what’s the equation for photosynthesis?
carbon dioxide + water -(light energy)-> oxygen + glucose
how are female fig wasps adapted?
specially shaped heads for getting into fig tree flowers and ovipositers that allow them to place eggs deep inside the flower. some male fig wasps spend their lives waiting for a female in the plant.
how would you measure oxygen, temperature and rainfall levels in the environment?
oxygen - oxygen metre
temperature - thermometer
rainfall - rain gauge
what’s a quadrat?
it’s a square frame that you lay on the ground and it investigates to population of plants in a certain area.
sample areas are random to make it unbiased and you can do this by throwing the quadrat behind you.
what’s a line transect?
a tape which you stretch between two points and you use quadrats at regular intervals to count the amount of organisms along the transect. it shows the distribution of organisms over a long period of habitat.
what things affect organism distribution?
climate change
mate availability
what are some organisms that detect environmental change?
lichens determine air pollution by being more bushy if it’s clean air and crusty if it’s polluted
some fish can change colour underwater due to salt content and pollution in the sea
