What Is Adaptation? | Ecology & Environment | Biology | FuseSchool

What Is Adaptation? | Ecology & Environment | Biology | FuseSchool

Learn about how organisms adapt to their habitats. "Adapting and Living Together" within the Ecology and Environment topic for school level biology.

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An adaptation is a characteristic which helps an organism to survive in its environment.

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Plants and animals must adapt so they can compete for resources

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and live successfully in their habitat

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Some adaptations can help organisms to

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not get eaten

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hide

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control body temperature

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or prevent water loss

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an adaptation gives an organism a better chance of surviving in its environment

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A well-adapted animal is the polar bear

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who has many adaptations for surviving in the Arctic

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their white appearance camouflages them against the snow

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making it very hard for prey to spot them

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they have thick layers of fat and fur

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to insulate them from the cold

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their fur is greasy so it dries quickly after swimming

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they have big feet to spread their weight on the ice

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and to increase grip

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And they also have a small surface area to volume ratio

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to minimize heat loss

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Another interesting example of an adaptation

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is the fur of the snowshoe hare

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whose fur changes color

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It is white in the winter to hide in the snow

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And brown in the summer to camouflage in the grass

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So all you have to remember

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when thinking of how organisms adapt

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is what the organism is competing for

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and what would help them to survive in their environment



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