Summary of Specification
Adaptations for survival Adaptations for survival in deserts
and the Arctic. Adaptations to cope with specific
features of the environment. Extremophiles
Learning Outcomes
Observe adaptations of a range of organisms.
Explain how organisms are adapted to survive in their habitat.
Learning Objectives
To be able to identify special adaptive features of animals
To appreciate how adaptations allow an animal to survive in hostile environments
To recognise the adaptations of plants for different environments
Adaptations
Living things adapt to their environment. Watch the video clip, and then try to fill in the
table explaining how the creature is adapted to it’s environment.
Animal
Adaptation How this helps them survive
Adaptations in different animals
Look at the animals on the worksheet, for each one try to give where it lives and an example of how it is adapted for survival in its environment.
Adaptations in different animals
Look at the animals on the worksheet, for each one try to give where it lives and an example of how it is adapted for survival in its environment.
Adaptations
You need to be able to: Explain how animals are adapted for survival in
arctic and desert environments in terms of:▪ Body size and surface area▪ Thickness of insulating coat▪ Amount of body fat▪ Camouflage
Explain how plants are adapted to survive in arid conditions
Suggest how organisms are adapted to the conditions in which they live.
Pupil Activity
Surviving in different environments. Read all information carefully Answer questions 3 - 9
Adaptations to seasonal changes
Hibernation – animals build up a fat layer and sleep through the worst of the winter months.
Migration – animals move off to warmer climes.
Insulation – many animals grow thicker fur.
Leaf shedding Food storing
Learning Outcomes
Describe and explain adaptations for survival in the Arctic.
Describe and explain adaptations for survival in a desert.
Adaptation
An adaptation is a feature that allows an organism to survive in the environment in which it lives.
Examples Polar bears and Arctic foxes are adapted
to survive in the Arctic A camel and the Fennec fox are adapted
to live in hot arid (desert) conditions
Adaptations of a polar bear to Arctic conditions
White fur Small head
and ears
Compact body shape
Thick layer of fur
Thick layer of
fat
Adaptation of a camel to arid conditions
Long legs and neck
Thin hair on top of body
No hair on underside of body
Nostrils which can close
Two rows of eyelashes
Fatty hump
Sandy colouring
Little body fat
Camel – designed for desert conditions
Big flat feet stop it sinking into the sand.
Short hair underneath the camel lets heat
escape.
Coarse wool on top of its body protects the camel from the sun.
A camel’s hump is a fat store. It can break down fat to release water.
A camel can drink large amounts of water.
Its mouth is tough so that it can eat thorny plants like cacti.
Pupil Activity
Adaptation polar bear
Survival Advantage
White fur Radiates less heat energy – prevent heat loss
For each of the adaptations labelled on the polar bear and the camel Explain how each adaptation helps the animal
survive in the conditions where it lives
Adaptations - Camel
Adaptation Survival AdvantageFatty hump Metabolic source of water
Nostrils which can close Close for protection during sandstorms
Long legs and neck Increase surface area for heat loss
Thin hair on top of body Allow heat loss
Sandy colouring Camouflage from predators
Two rows of eyelashes Prevent sand from entering the eyes
No hair on underside of body
Makes heat loss easier
Little body fatIncrease heat loss from skin capillaries
Adaptations – polar bear
Adaptation Survival Advantage
A small head and ears
Smaller surface area to reduce heat loss
Compact body shape
Smaller surface area to volume ratio to reduce heat loss
Thick layer of fur Traps air, which is a good insulator
Thick layer of fat Insulates against heat lossActs as a food reserve during hibernation
White furCamouflageReduce heat radiated from the body
Adaptations of the house leek to rocky outcrops
Short stem
Fleshy green leaves
Waxy, shiny outer covering to the leaves
Long roots
Adaptations to water lossa cactus in the desert
Leaves reduced to spines – to reduce water loss through stoma
Swollen stem stores water
Wide spread root systems to increase surface area for absorption.
Pupil Activity
For each of the adaptations labelled on the house leek Explain how each adaptation helps plant
survive conditions on a rocky outcrop.
Adaptation Survival Advantage
Adapted to extremeswww.BBC.co.uk/Nature/Adaptations Adaptation to extremes encompasses all
the special behaviours and physiologies that living things need to withstand the planet's harshest conditions and environments.
Whether it's a lack of oxygen at altitude, the searing heat of deserts or the bitter cold of the polar regions, plants, animals and other organisms have evolved a multitude of coping strategies.
Adapted to extremeswww.BBC.co.uk/Nature/AdaptationsAdaptations
Watch the video clips
Make notes on the adaptations shown by the animals or plant in the video clips
The environments shown will include Altitude tolerant Chemical tolerant Cold tolerant Dry tolerant Fire tolerant Heat tolerant
Homework - Prep
To draw labelled diagrams of a plant or animal, describing the adaptation and detailing the survival advantage of each adaptation.
extreme environments
Environmental extremes for small plants and animals on the Antarctic Peninsula
Write out a list of environmental conditions you think that an organism living on the Antarctic peninsula
Antarctic conditions
Extreme cold in the winter Fairly mild summers (up to 45 °F), with rock and
moss surface temperatures of up to 70 °F Very short growing season each year for the
plants that provide food for small organisms Intense ultraviolet light due to the hole in the
ozone layer High winds on small islands Extreme dryness Exposure to high acidity, due to immersion in
penguin guano (waste) during summer breeding season
Possible immersion in both salt and freshwater due to weather and tides in the summer
Prep
Draw a labelled diagram of an animal or plant adapted to survive on the Antarctic peninsula. This organism can be real or fictitious
Extremophiles
Extremophiles are adapted to live in extreme environments.
Extremophiles can be tolerant to High salt levels High temperatures High pressure
As the conditions are extreme, there are very few other organisms to compete with.
Extreme temperatures
Extreme high temperatures can be found around hot springs or hydrothermal vents.
Most organisms will die at temperatures about 40oC because proteins and enzymes in their bodies breakdown (denature).
Bacteria that can survive in these places have enzymes that do not denature at high temperatures of greater than 60oC.
Hydrothermal vents
Deep in the ocean, water pressure is great and there is no light.
Bacteria are the producers in these communities and they make sugars using chemical energy released from the hydrothermal vents (chemosynthesis).
Summary of specification
Organisms require materials from their surroundings and from other organisms to survive.
Plants compete for light, space, water and nutrients.
Animals compete for food, mates and territory.
Learning Outcomes
List factors that affect the survival of organisms in their habitat.
Give examples of resources that plants and animals compete for in a given habitat.
Describe adaptations that some organisms have to avoid being eaten.
Interpret population curves.
The Environment
An ecosystem is an environment where living organisms can survive.
Each ecosystem is made up of Habitats and Communities
Habitat - This is the place where the organisms live. It has the conditions that they need to survive.
Community – all the living organisms that live in the habitat.
Physical Factors Each ecosystem has a set of
environmental factors. Organisms live, grow and reproduce in
places where, and at times when, conditions are suitable.
These factors vary according to the time of day and the time of year.
Physical Factors
Availability of waterTemperature
Few living organisms can grow outside the range of 0oC to 40oC.
Light Intensity photosynthesis in plants, animals need
light for visibility.Availability of carbon dioxide
and oxygen
Pupil Activity
Environmental factors affecting life Read all the information supplied on
the sheet carefully. Answer questions 3-5 and 8-11 in full
sentences.
Populations
A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular habitat at the same time.
The number of individuals present in the population will depend on how they can interact with two types of factor.
Populations
Biotic (living) food, disease, predation, mates, effects
of humans, and competition Abiotic (non living)
water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature and light intensity
Populations
Populations need things called resources to grow.
Organisms that are better suited (adapted) to compete are more likely to survive and have offspring
Competition for Resources Plants and animals compete for
resources. Plants often compete with each other for
space, and for nutrients and water from the soil.
Animals often compete with each other for space, water and food.
Competition
Competition between members of the same species▪ Organisms produce more offspring than can
survive▪ This leads to competition▪ If there is plenty of food the population is
likely to increase, if food is depleted it is likely that population size will decrease
Gannets
Gannets are sea birds that catch fish by diving head first into the water.
They live and breed on remote cliffs
VS
Gannet Colonies
Gannets compete for space on the rocks The nests are distributed “pecking
distance” apart Plenty of fish
more young gannets are raised Increase competition for nesting sites in
future years
Competition
Competition between members of different species Several species might rely on the same
food source or space▪ E.g. primroses flower early in the year to
avoid competition for light. They also produce leaves, flowers and seeds before the tree leaves open and put them into shade
VS
Factors affecting population size
Predation will limit the prey population.
Disease can spread quickly through large populations.
Predator-prey relationships
Animals that kill and eat other animals are called predators. The animals that they eat are called prey.
Predators are usually bigger and fewer in number than their prey. List five things that make a good
predator: List five ways prey have adapted escape
from predators:
List what is happening in each of the stages 1 – 5 on the predator prey graph.
1. The prey has plenty of food. It breeds and increases in number.
2. The increase in prey means that there is more food for the predator. So the predator breeds and increases in number.
3. There are now lots of predators so more prey will be eaten. The number of prey goes down.
Predator prey graph
4. There are now less prey for the predator to feed on. Food will be scarce and many predators starve.
5. With fewer predators, more prey survive to breed. The prey numbers increase
The cycle continues…
Summary of specification
Environmental change and the distribution of organisms.
Environmental changes due to living and non-living factors.
Indicators of pollution – lichens and invertebrates.
Measuring environmental changes.
Learning Outcomes
Evaluate data on environmental change and the distribution and behaviour of living organisms.
Give examples of how an environment can change.
Environmental Change
The distribution of plants and animals can be affected by changes in their environment.
Environmental changes could be due to Non-living factors – temperature, rainfall,
light and oxygen levels Living factors – predators, disease,
introduction of new species
Learning Outcomes
Interpret data on lichen distribution and sulfur dioxide levels.
Interpret data on invertebrates and water pollution.
Biological Indicators
Living organisms can be used as indicators of pollution The presence or absence of particular
organisms can indicate the level of pollution in an area.
These are called Indicator Species Biological indicators of air and water
pollution can give a longer term view of changes than chemical sampling.
Pollution Indicators Species
Freshwater invertebrates can be used as indicators of freshwater pollution
Lichens can be used as indicators of air pollution due to their sensitivity to sulfur dioxide.
Freshwater pollution
Indicator Species Animals found in
water with low levels of oxygen▪ Sludge worm▪ Rat-tailed maggot▪ Blood worm
Animals found in water with high levels of oxygen▪ Mayfly nymph▪ Stonefly nymph▪ shrimp
Water Oxygenation
What could cause the oxygen concentration in a river to decrease?
Yup, that’s right SEWAGE or organic pollution
Stages in freshwater pollution
Organic waste (sewage) provides food for bacteria, which allows them to grow and reproduce
Bacteria use up the oxygen in the water when they respire
There is less oxygen for other organisms such as fish and insects.
Animals such as fish, stonefly nymphs and shrimps decrease in number.
Freshwater Pollution – sewage
As the concentration of sewage pollution rises, the population of bacteria rises.
This is because the bacteria feed off the sewage which provides raw materials and energy for growth and reproduction.
At the same time the concentration of oxygen falls.
This is because the bacteria use up the oxygen in respiration as they break down the organic waste in the sewage.
Animals such as fish and stonefly nymphs decrease in number.
Quick Test – Freshwater Pollution
1. What effect does domestic sewage have on the number of bacteria in a river?
2. How do the bacteria numbers affect the level of dissolved oxygen in the water?
3. How does the reduction in oxygen level affect the numbers of fish and invertebrate numbers in the river?
4. What name is given to an organism whose presence or absence gives information about the level of pollution in a river?
5. Name two organisms that can live in water where the oxygen level is low.
6. Name two organisms that can only live in water that is unpolluted.
Learning Outcome
To explain how lichens can be used to indicate air pollution
To analyse data on air pollution and draw conclusions
Pollution Indicators
The presence or absence of particular organisms can indicate the level of pollution in an area.
These are called Indicator Species
Air Pollution Indicators
Lichens Different types of lichen have different
sensitivities to sulfur dioxide gas. 3 main types – crusty, leafy and shrubby
Indicator species present
Appearance of lichen
SO2 concentration
Crusty lichens only
High
Crusty and leafy Medium
Shrubby low