ecology - adaptations

Question 1

what are camels adapted to?

Answer 1

hot and dry conditions of a desert

Question 2

what are structural adaptations?

Answer 2

adaptations of body shape or body structure

Question 3

structural adaptations of a camel?

Answer 3

• hump on back which is a store of fat. fat is a thermal insulator. by storing in one place it allows heat loss from other parts in camel’s body, reduces water loss by sweating. metabolic reactions can be used to produce water from fat
• thick coat on upper body. this insulates the top of the camel from the heat of the sun + reduces water loss from sweating
• leathery inside of mouth. this means they can chew desert plants which often have thorns. plants can be good source of water
• long lashes to keep dust out of eyes + close their nostrils
• wide feet. prevent them from sinking into sand

Question 4

what are functional adaptations?

Answer 4

adaptations to the body functions of an organism

Question 5

functional adaptions of a camel?

Answer 5

• produce concentrated urine + dry faeces. both reduce water loss
• tolerate large changes in body temp. helps cope with intensity of desert

Question 6

what are behavioural adaptations?

Answer 6

adaptations animal’s lifestyle or behaviour

Question 7

behavioural adaptations of a kangaroo rat?

Answer 7

• nocturnal (active at night) meaning they avoid heat of day
• in the day, they live in burrows underground. to keep cool + protect them from predators

Question 8

structural adaptations of an arctic fox?

Answer 8

• very thick fur. insulation + reduces heat loss
• fur on sole of feet. reduce heat loss to ice + snow
• small ears. reduce surface area, reducing heat loss
• white coat provides camouflage + helps it to hunt prey

Question 9

adaptations of a cactus/cacti?

Answer 9

adapted to living in dry conditions. one problem is losing water through leaves. cacti solves this problem
- some have small leaves reducing water loss
- some have no leaves at all only spines. spines protect from animals
- extensive + shallow roots. allow them to catch as much water as possible after rainfall before evaporating or sinking into ground.
- store water in stem. can survive many months without rain

Question 10

where are deep sea vents found? what are the conditions around them + what lives there?

Answer 10

a) sea bed
b) high temperatures and pressures. we can find bacteria living in these vents - extremophiles. they can live in very high concentration of salts