Biology Unit 1 -2017

Outcome 2
Chapter 5.1
Key Knowledge
Survival through adaptations and regulation
the structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations that
enhance an organisms survival and enable life to exist in a wide
range of environments
successful adaptations as models for biomimicry to solve human
challenges
The Rule of Threes

You can live three minutes without air

You can live three hours without shelter (in a
harsh environment)
You can live three days without water (if you
have shelter)
You can live three weeks without food (if you
have shelter and water)
5.1 Adaptations

Different organisms have different features that

enable them to survive and reproduce in
different environments
Adaptations are classed into three groups
Structural (morphological or anatomical)
Physiological (functional)
Behavioural
Challenges to Adaptation and Survival

Abiotic factors non-living components of an

environment; such as water, temperature, pH and
salinity (can you think of any others?)
Biotic factors living components of an environment;
such as food, predators, mates and competition (can
you give examples?)

Adaptations of organisms allow them to overcome

challenges in their environment; such as cold temperature,
excess salinity, lack of water, predation
Structural Adaptation
Plants
To reduce water loss, plants have developed the following
adaptations
Reduced leaf surface area (why?)
Fewer stomata
Stomatal hairs that create a humid microclimate
Sunken or protected stomata
Thick, waxy cuticle
Extensive root systems
Rolled leaves
Leaves orientate away from the sun
General adaptations to dry
environments
E.g. Cactus
Rolled leaves
e.g. Marram grasses
 Leaf orientation

oak
eucalyptus
 Lithops

Living rock
Structural adaptations
Animals
Body coverings - Thick fur and blubber (fat) to insulate
against cold
Bright feathers to attract mates
Vascular body parts - Large ears to increase heat loss
Small ears to reduce heat loss
Webbed feet and flippers for swimming
Spines for protection against predators
Patterned body coverings for camouflage
 Structural adaptations
Animals
pallas
walrus
 Structural adaptations
Animals
Snow leopard Desert fox
 Structural adaptations
Animals
Armadillo Echidna
Physiological Adaptations
Plants
Variations in photosynthesis to allow the stomata
only to be open at night and the CO2 stored in
the leaves
Antifreeze proteins in cells inhibit growth of ice
crystals
Regulation of salinity
Shedding leaves that are overloaded with salt
Excreting salt through glands
Pumping salt out of roots
Physiological Adaptations
Plants
mangrove
Physiological adaptation
Animals
Produce concentrated urine to reduce water loss (e.g. spinifex
hopping mouse
Venom production for hunting or defense (e.g. snakes, many
marine animals, wasps, bees, spiders, platypus)
Colour change for thermoregulation
Shivering to maintain body temperature
Heat exchange for cooling (Countercurrent exchange)
Antifreeze proteins in some Antarctic fish
Torpor to reduce energy consumption
Bioluminescence
 Physiological adaptation
Animals Artic fox

Summer winter
Physiological adaptation
Animals African elephant
Physiological adaptation
Animals

octopus
Physiological adaptation
Animals Countercurrent exchange
Physiological adaptation
Animals Antarctic cod
 Adaptations for movement of plants

Tropisms
Phototropism: growth in response to light
Geotropism (Gravitropism): growth in response
to gravity
Chemotropism: growth in response to
chemicals
Thigmotropism: growth in response to touch
Hydrotopism: growth in response to water
concentration
Adaptations for movement of plants

Tropisms
Positive: towards stimulus
Negative : away from stimulus
Controlled by hormone: auxins, gibberellin,
ethylene, cytokinin and abscisic acid
Adaptations for movement of plants

phototropism
Adaptations for movement of plants

Nastic movement
Thigomonasty: movement in response to
touch
Photonasty: movement in response to
change in light intensity
Thermonasty: movement in response to
change in temperature
Adaptations for movement of plants

Nastic movement
Movement of plant tissue (not growth) in
response to an environmental stimulus
Allows plant to adapt to changes in its
environment by changing its orientation
Adaptations for movement of plants

Nastic movement
Example: rapid closure of Venus fly trap plant
to touch (thigmonasty)
Example: opening and closing of flowers due
to changes in light (photonasty)
Requires internal changes in cell turgidity
(vacuoles)
 Adaptations for movement of plants
Nastic movement
sunflowers Venus fly trap
Behavioural adaptations of Animals

Seeking or leaving shade or shelter

Evaporative cooling to lower temperature
Huddling to maintain body temperature
Migration
Behavioural adaptations of Animals
Penguins huddling
Biomimicry

Biomimicry (biomimetics) involves

mimicking or copying structure or systems
found in nature
Divided into three main areas
Biomimicry
Form Biomimicry
Imitation of shape or form
Examples:
Velcro copies the way burdock seeds stick to
animal fur and human clothing
Bullet train copies the shape of kingfisher diving
Sharklet design inspired by shark skin, shape
inhibits bacterial growth plus it is used in eye
cataract surgery
Hypodermic needle inspired by the mosquito
proboscis; rough, therefore reduces contact with
nerves in skin
Biomimicry
velcro
Burdock seed
Biomimicry

falcon

B2 stealth
bomber
Biomimicry

Process Biomimicry
Imitation of behaviours or a series of
operations
Examples:
Algorithms based on the communication
behaviour of ants and bees to develop
ways control boxes monitor and regulate
the power required
Biomimicry

Systems Biomimicry
Imitation of processes that work together to
manage materials or energy
Examples:
Solving engineering problems: increase
efficiency of wind turbine blades by looking
at the skin of humpback whales