Adaptations &You!

You are made of traits.What is a trait?

A trait is …a distinct characteristic (hair color, height, etc.) of an organism that may be inherited or acquired. What’s the difference

between an inherited and acquired trait?

Acquired Trait …A characteristic that

is learned or obtained through experience. It is not passed on to offspring.

Examples of acquired traits.

Inherited Trait …A characteristic that

is passed from parent to offspring through the process of genetics.

Examples of inherited traits.

How do you get an inherited

trait?An inherited trait is passed on

during reproduction.

There are two types of

reproduction …Asexual reproductionSexual reproduction

Asexual reproduction is reproduction without sex.You only need one parent.

The offspring is/are identical to

the parent.You can’t identify offspring or

parent.

There are two types of asexual

reproduction.

Fission – the parent splits into two or more identical organisms.Examples

Fragmentation/regeneration – the parent breaks into

different fragments and each grow into a new

organism.Examples

Sexual ReproductionReproduction

with two parents – a male and

female.

The female produces an egg.

The male produces sperm.

When the egg & sperm unite, offspring are

produced.Offspring are similar to, but

different, from the parents.

Half of the genetic material comes from each

parent.

Asexual ReproductionAdvantages Disadvantage

s

FastEasy

Don’t have to find a partnerDon’t have to

travelLess can go

wrongDon’t have to

raise offspring

No variety

Sexual ReproductionAdvantages Disadvantage

s

Variety SlowComplex

Have to have a partner

May have to travel

Much can go wrong

Time raising offspring

Now we know about traits, what do they do for us?They are responsible for survival in an environment.

Traits help an organism adapt to its environment.Adaptations -

Characteristics that give an organism a better chance of survival.

There are two types of adaptations.

These are the inherited traits.

The first type is structural

adaptations.

These are the acquired traits.

The second type is behavioral

adaptations.

Structural traits help an organism survive in certain

environments.

Bird beaks are great examples of

adaptations. Beak Food

Cracker

Seed eater. The bill is strong and used to crack open seeds.

Beak Food

Tweezers

Insect eater. They are used to pick insects off leaves, twigs, and bark.

Chisel

Insect eater. Chisel is used to get insects under bark.

Needle

Nectar eater. Uses needle beak to get into flowers to get the nectar.

Hook

Meat eater. Used to bite the skull or neck; tears the body into pieces small enough to swallow.

When is a trait a disadvantage?

When the environment

changes.

Look at bird beaks again.What’s a seed eater

to do if the seeds are gone?The beak is so strong

it will smash insects & fruits.

What good is white fur if it never snows?

Webbed feet are not that helpful on the

land.

What are some unique adaptations &

traits?How about mimicry? (resemblance of a species

to another species or natural objects; provides

concealment and protection from

predators).

The Monarch and Viceroy

The monarch is a bitter-

tasting butterfly.

The viceroy mimics the monarch.

The Honey Bee and Syrphid Fly

The honey bee has a

nasty sting predators

avoid.

The syrphid fly mimics the honey

bee.

The Coral & Scarlet King Snakes

The coral snake is

poisonous.

The scarlet king snake mimics the coral snake."Red on yellow, kill a fellow.

Red on black, won't hurt Jack."

The Orchid and the Mantid

The orchid attracts

insects for pollination.

The orchid mantid mimics the orchid in order to catch

prey.

We can selectively

choose traits for plants

and animals.

The original corn was tough and had

little taste.We have selectively chosen

corn traits; our corn is now soft

and sweet.

100 years ago, cows gave less milk than

they do today.Through selective

breeding, cows give more milk than in

the past.

Dogs have been selectively bred for desired traits.

?

Body structure is also adapted to a

specific environment.

Birds have hollow bones and other specialized

bones to aid flight.

Hair and blubber insults the body.

The otter’s hair concentration is between 170,000 – 1,062,000 per square inch.

Hair and blubber insults the body.

The shape of a fish’s body helps it move through

the water.

That’s a quick overview of adaptations.