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Adaptation

Key Stage 2

Meaning

An adaptation is a special part a living creature has that helps it survive. Sometimes an adaptation is the shape or size of certain parts of the creature.

Singular Noun: Adaptation
Plural Noun: Adaptations
Verb: To adapt
Adjective: Adapted

About Adaptations

Adaptations allow organisms to survive in their habitats.
Adaptations are caused by evolution.

Adaptations for the Arctic and Antarctic

PolarBear.png
The polar bear is adapted because it has thick fur to stay warm and it has white fur to camouflage in the snow.
ArcticFox.png
The arctic fox is well adapted to the arctic with thick fluffy white fur.
Penguin.png
An adaptation of penguins is thick fluffy feathers to keep warm. Penguins do not need to be camouflaged with white feathers because there are few predators to hunt them.


PolarBear.png
ArcticFox.png
Penguin.png
The polar bear is adapted because it has thick fur to stay warm and it has white fur to camouflage in the snow. The arctic fox is well adapted to the arctic with thick fluffy white fur. An adaptation of penguins is thick fluffy feathers to keep warm. Penguins do not need to be camouflaged with white feathers because there are few predators to hunt them.

Adaptations for deserts

CactusSaguaro.png
Camel.png
DesertFox.png
The cactus has evolved the adaptation of not having any leaves. This stops them from losing water too quickly in the dry desert. An adaptation of camels for the desert is the hump on their back which stores food because there is not much to eat in the desert. The desert fox has been adapted to have very large ears to help them cool down when it is hot.

Adaptations for Defence

Hedgehog.png
CactusSaguaro.png
OctopusInk.png
Hedgehogs have spikes. This adaptation make it difficult for animals to eat them. Cactus plants have spikes. This adaptation make it difficult for animals to eat them. Octopuses and squid spray ink when they are being attacked. This adaptation makes it difficult for the predator to see them when the swim away.

Key Stage 3

Meaning

An adaptation is a special part an organism has that helps it survive in its habitat. Sometimes an adaptation is the shape or size of certain parts of the organism.

Adaptations of Animals

PolarBear.png
Camel.png
Hedgehog.png
The polar bear is adapted because it has thick fur to stay warm and it has white fur to camouflage in the snow. An adaptation of camels for the desert is the hump on their back which stores food because there is not much to eat in the desert. Hedgehogs have spikes. This adaptation make it difficult for animals to eat them.

Adaptations of Plants

CactusSaguaro.png
LeafCrossSection.png
Acorn.png
The cactus has evolved the adaptation of not having any leaves. This stops them from losing water too quickly in the dry desert. An adaptation of the leaf is the air gaps that allow the exchange of gases needed for photosynthesis and respiration. An adaptation of many plants is to have hard seeds which are shells which protect the offspring from being eaten as well as from cold or dry conditions allowing the offspring to wait for the conditions to be just right before germinating.

Adaptations of Specialised Cells

Muscle Cell Sperm Cell Palisade Cell Root Hair Cell
MuscleCellClipart.png
SpermCellClipart.png
PalisadeCellClipart.png
RootHairCellClipart.png
This cell is adapted with muscle fibres that allow it to get shorter and longer and extra mitochondria to power the movement. The adaptations of the sperm cell are a tail for swimming, extra mitochondria to provide energy for movement and enzymes in the head to break through the jelly coating on an ovum. The palisade cell is adapted with an elongated shape and extra chloroplasts to collect as much light as possible to power photosynthesis. This cell is adapted with a long root hair to increase its surface area so it can absorb water and minerals quickly.

Key Stage 4

Meaning

Adaptations are features of an organism that help it survive within its ecosystem or features of specialised cells which allow them to perform a specific job within an organism.

About Adaptations

Adaptations evolve over many generations.

Examples

DesertFox.png
ArcticFox.png
Adaptations of the desert fox:
  • Thin fur - Allows it to cool down more quickly.
  • Large ears - Allow the fox to lose thermal energy through blood vessels in the ears.
  • Large surface area compared to volume - Provides a greater area for thermal energy to escape.
  • Nocturnal - The desert fox sleeps during the day and comes out at night when it is cooler.
  • Sand coloured fur - To camouflage the desert fox when it is hunting.
Adaptations of the arctic fox:
  • Thick fur - Insulates the fox to keep warm.
  • Small ears - To prevent the loss of thermal energy through blood vessels in the ears.
  • Small surface area compared to volume - The rounded shape provides a smaller area for thermal energy to escape.
  • White coloured fur - To camouflage the desert fox when it is hunting.

References

AQA

Adaptation; behaviour, pages 338-9, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Adaptation; camouflage, pages 338, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Adaptation; cell, pages 26-7, 60-1, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Adaptation; functional, page 339, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Adaptation; organ, 100-1, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Adaptation; organisms, pages 54, 322-3, 338-9, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Adaptation; structural, pages 339-41, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Adaptations, page 108, GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Adaptations, page 85, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Adaptations, pages 242-5, 248-9, GCSE Biology, Hodder, AQA
Adaptations, pages 261, 262, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Biology, CGP, AQA
Adaptations, pages 321, 322, GCSE Biology, CGP, AQA
Adaptations, pages 74, 81-2, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
Adaptations; cell specialisations, pages 8-10, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
Adaptations; facilitation of diffusion, pages 31, 33, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
Adaptations; To extreme environments, pages 82-3, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA

Edexcel

Adaptations, pages 8, 126, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
Adaptations, pages 8, 180, GCSE Biology, Pearson, Edexcel