Environmental Adaption Flashcards
These selection pressures can have different effects on the allele frequencies of a population through natural selection
Certain alleles within a species population can produce features that make an organism better suited to its environment - adaptations
When new alleles of genes result from mutation there is the potential for relatively rapid change in a species if their environment changes
For example, a favourable allele in the lion population could result in a higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibres in their legs, which is advantageous for sprinting after prey
Natural selection will select for favourable alleles that produce adaptations
The lions with the advantageous alleles are more likely to catch prey and survive
These lions will produce more…………
The allele frequency will ………in the population
The resulting adaptation will become more …………in the population
The species will be better suited to their ………….
offspring
increase
common
environment
Natural selection will select against ………………………
The slower lions that have the unfavourable allele are less likely to catch prey and survive
These lions will produce less offspring
The allele frequency will decrease in the population
The species will be better suited to their environment
unfavourable alleles
This means that over time natural selection will cause favourable allele to ……………. and unfavourable allele to ………………
which makes species
This means that over time natural selection will cause favourable allele frequencies to increase and unfavourable allele frequencies to decrease, making the species better adapted to their environment
Types of Adaptations
Adaptations enable organisms to
survive in the conditions in which they normally live
An adaptation can be
anatomical, physiological and behavioural
what is anatomical adaptation and a example in polar bears
Structural/physical feature
Example: The white fur of a polar bear provides camouflage in the snow so it has less chance of being detected by prey
what is physiological adaptation and a example
in mosquitos
Biological processes within the organism
Example: Mosquitos produce chemicals that stop the animal’s blood clotting when they bite, so that they can feed more easily
Behavioural and an example in cold blooded mammals
The way an organism behaves
Example: Cold-blooded reptiles bask in the sun to absorb heat
You may be asked to identify whether an adaptation is anatomical, physiological or behavioural so make sure you have a good grasp of the difference between these types of adaptations! Learning an example for each can sometimes help you, as you then have them for comparison when in an exam.