SCIENCE NOTES CHAPTER 4: ADAPTATIONS

1. For an organism to survive in its habitat, it must be able to:

a. Obtain air, food and water,
b. Protect itself from predators,
c. Reproduce, and
d. Cope with changes in environmental conditions.
2. Adaptations are special characteristics that organisms have to help them survive in their
environment.
3. Adaptations can be structural or behavioural. Structural adaptation refers to the physical
features of an organism, such as colour, body shape and body covering. For example:
a. The beak of a hummingbird is long, slender and curved to enable it to easily reach
nectar found in flowers.
b. The wings of a penguin are modified to become flippers to enable them to swim in
water.
c. The body of a Bactrian camel is covered in thick fur to help it survive in cold weather.
4. Behavioural adaptation refers to the way an organism acts or behaves to stay alive, such
as living in groups and migrating. For example:
a. Wildebeests move in large herds to help protect themselves from predators.
b. Some predators, such as wolves, hunt in groups to make it easier to catch prey.
c. Birds such as plovers and sandpipers migrate to warmer countries to escape the
winter cold.
d. Some animals, such as the brown bear and Arctic ground squirrel, sleep become
inactive during winter to conserve energy.
5. How are animals adapted to their environment?
a. Adaptation for moving in water
Animals have different adaptations to enable them to move easily in water, such as:
- Streamlined bodies: Some aquatic animals have streamlined bodies to enable
them to overcome water resistance so that they can move faster. The streamlined
shape is basically narrow at the head and tail and broad at the centre. For
example, most fishes have streamlined bodies.
- Bodies that store fat: Some aquatic animals are able to stay afloat (or buoyant)
in water as their bodies have a thick layer of blubber (or fat). As fat is lighter than
water, it helps the animal to stay afloat. For example, animals such as the dolphin
and the killer whale have thick layers of blubber in their bodies to help them stay
afloat.
- Modified body parts: Some aquatic animals have modified body parts such as
webbed feet, flippers and powerful tails to help them move in water. For
example. Penguins, ducks and frogs have webbed feet; Walruses and turtles have
flippers while whales have powerful tails.
b. Adaptation for breathing in water
Aquatic animals have different adaptations to enable them to breathe in water, such
as:
- Nostrils or blowholes: Aquatic animals that take in oxygen from the atmosphere
have nostrils at the tip just above their mouths or blowholes at the top of their
heads. These animal need to prevent water from entering their nostrils or
blowholes. They have special muscles that can help close the nostrils or
 blowholes. For examples: Crocodile = nostrils; Hippopotamus = nostrils; Whale =
blowhole.
- Breathing tubes: Some aquatic animals have breathing tubes to help them take
in oxygen from the atmosphere while they are in water. They have air tubes
extending from the rear part of their bodies. These animals are usually found just
below the water surface. For example, wriggler and water scorpion.
- Air bubbles: Some animals carry a bubble of air attached to their bodies when
they are in water. They will use the air bubble to breathe in water. For example,
Great diving beetle and Water spider.
- Gills: Some aquatic animals have gills that take in dissolved oxygen from the
water. This oxygen-filled water passes through the gills where the oxygen is
absorbed. Each gills is filled with blood vessels where the exchange of carbon
dioxide for oxygen takes place. Gills can only function when they are wet. For
example, Fish, Newt tadpole, and Damselfly nymph.
c. Adaptation for flight
Bats, most birds, and some insects can fly.
- Strong wings and light body weight: Bats, birds and insects that fly have strong
wings and light body weight that enable them to fly.
- Feathers and flight muscles: Only birds have feathers. The feathers are light and
can keep the birds warm. Most birds have large wing feathers to increase the
surface area so they can stay in the air by gliding. Birds that fly also have
powerful flight muscles to enable them to flap their wings. These muscles are
kept warm by their feathers so that the muscles can work effectively.
- Hollow bones: The bones of birds are hollow. This helps to reduce their body
weight, making flying easier.
d. Adaptation for coping with extreme cold
Animals living in cold environment need to protect themselves from the low
temperatures, such as:
- Insulating layer of fat: Some animals have a layer of insulating fat underneath
their skin to reduce heat loss from their bodies. For example, Walrus, Seal and
Whale.
- Thick body coverings: Some animals have a body covering of thick fur or feathers.
Air that is trapped in the thick fur or feathers reduces heat loss from the animal’s
body. For example, The musk ox has an extra layer of fur which further protects
it from wind and snow; The polar bear has a thick body covering to help it survive
in the cold; Birds in cold habitats have thick layers of feathers.
- Hibernation: Some animals hibernate, or go into a long and deep sleep, during
winter. When they hibernate, their breathing and heart rate slow down a lot, and
their body temperature drops. This helps conserve their energi which lasts
through the cold winter months. For example, The black bear hibernates
throughout winter. It can survive for over half a year without eating or drinking.
- Migration: Some animals migrate before winter arrives to find food elsewhere
and to escape from the cold. They leave the area for a warmer place. For
example, to escape winter, Arctic terns migrate southwards from their Arctic
breeding grounds.
e. Adaptation for coping with extreme heat
How do the animals that live in dry habitats cope with the heat and lack of water?
- Reducing water loss: The camel is a common desert animal. It sweats and
urinates very infrequently to reduce water loss from its body to the hot
surroundings. Another adaptations that the camel have to live in the desert such
as:
▪ The camel has long eyelashes to keep out sand that might fly into its eyes.
▪ The camel’s feet are padded to prevent the camel from sinking into the soft
sand.
▪ The camel’s hump stores fat (not water), to provide the camel with energy to
survive long periods without food.
- Staying in the shade: One of the ways to prevent overheating is to stay in the
shade. Some desert snakes and lizards stay underground most of the day to avoid
the scorching heat. They come out to look for food at night when it is cooler.
- Getting rid of excess heat: The fennec fox also called the desert fox, has large ears
to help release excess body heat.
- Obtaining water: The desert turtoise is able to obtain water from the food it eats.
It also digs shallow pits to catch as much water as it can from the infrequent
rainfalls.
f. Adaptation for obtaining food
Animals must be able to get food to feed themselves and their young in order to
survive, such as:
- Body parts: The giraffe has adaptations that help it to obtain enough food from
the savannah plains where it lives. The giraffe’s height enables it to reach the
high branches of the acacia trees where it gets most of its food. Its tongue can
grasp the branches and pull them closer. Its lips and tongue are also tough and
leathery to prevent it from being poked by the sharp thorns of the acacia plant;
The hummingbird has a long thin beak that enables it to reach the nectar of
flowers; The spider monkey’s tail is strong and flexible. It is useful when climbing
or holding on to branches. The monkey uses its hands to collect fruits and leaves
or to catch insects.
- Ways of catching prey: Predators that chase after their prey must be able to move
fast to catch their food. For example, the cheetah, with its lean body and
powerful legs, is the fastest land animal. It uses its speed to chase and catch its
prey, such as deer, wild boars and antelopes. (Some predators, such as the cobra,
kill their prey with venom through their bite). For example, the rattlesnake uses
its poison to kill its prey; the spider’s web traps insects for its food.
- Hunting in groups: Wolves hunt in groups. This method enables them to catch
prey that is bigger and stronger than themselves.
g. Adaptation for protection from predators
Animals that are prey must be able to protect themselves from predators in order to
survive. These animals too have adaptations for this purpose.
- Speed: When a prey, such as deer, senses danger or is under attack, it will run
away quickly to escape. The deer has strong legs that enable it to escape swiftly
from its predator.
- Defenses: The porcupine has spines on its body to fend off predators, while the
skunk releases a foul-smelling liquid to send predators running away.
 - Camuouflage: Camouflage can be the blending of the body colour, shape or
texture to match with its surroundings. For example, the chameleon, cuttlefish
and ptarmigan are able to match the colour of their bodies to their surroundings
to avoid being easily spotted by predators; The leafy seadragon resembles the
seaweeds in its habitat.
- False features: Some animals avoid being eaten by pretending to be bigger and
more dangerous than they really are. Having false features that look like huge
eyes, such as those in the peacock butterfly, can scare potential predators away.
- Living in groups: When fishes swim together in a large shoal, it becomes more
confusing for the predators as it is difficult to focus and attack only one fish.
h. Adaptation for reproduction
Reproduction is important to ensure the continuity of a species. How do animals adapt
to find and attract a mate?
- Attractive body coverings: The males are usually more colorful than the females.
When looking out for potential mates, the females are more attracted to the
bright colors as they usually indicate a healthy male. For example, during the
mating season, the male peacocks display their colorful feathers to attract the
females.
- Special scents: When ready to mate, some female animals would release a
special scent to attract mates, even from a distance. For example, the female
Cecropia moth releases a powerful scent. The male, using its feathery antennae,
can detect the smell from many kilometers away.
- Courtship displays: Some animals have elaborate courtship displays that involve
dancing, singing or mating calls to attract a mate. For example, The male
Chinstrap penguin would swing its heard and flap its flippers while squawking to
announce the nest it has built, attracting females and warning other males to
stay away.
6. How are plants adapted to their environment?
a. Adaptation for obtaining sunlight: Plants need sunlight to carry out photosynthesis.
It is thus important that the leaves of plants are well-positioned to receive the most
sunlight. For example, the leaves of the raintree are well spread out to obtain
maximum sunlight; trees in a thick jungle need to grow tall quickly to get as much
sunlight as possible. (Plants that have weak stems are often soft and non-woody.
They are able to climb and creep. It calles climbers or creepers. Some climbers have
tendrils, which are modified leaves, to help them hook onto a support so they can
climb vertically to get more sunlight. Example, an orchid plant clings onto a tree for
support; a climbing plant growing on a fence; Creepers have long and thin stems that
creep on the surface of the ground. For example, carpet grass; sweet potato plant).
b. Adaptation in water plants: Plants that live in water also need sunlight. For example,
Water hyacinth, the leaves are waxy to keep the plant waterproof. The spongy leaf
stalk traps air to enable the plant to stay buoyant; Water lily, the waxy leaves make
the plant waterproof, allowing water to slide off the leaves easily. This prevents the
water lily from getting soaked; Hydrilla, air spaces found in the stem of the hydrilla
plant help keep them upright while being supported by th water.
c. Adaptation in desert plants: Some desert plants have extremely long roots that grow
very deep to reach underground water sources. The leaves of some desert plants
have a waxy coating which will also help minimise water lost through transpiration.
 The cactus is an example of a plant with adaptive features to enable it to survive in
the desert where there can be too little water. (Green stem helps the cactus to make
food; needle-like leaves called spines help reduce water loss; water is stored in the
thick swallen stem; roots can be widely spread out near the surface to absorb as
much water as possible when it rains).
d. Adaptation for dispersing seeds: Some seeds, such as burdock and love grass, have
tiny hooks that allow them to cling on to the fur of feathers of passing animals. They
are then brushed off later far from the parent plant; Some plants have their seeds in
fleshy and juicy fruits that will be eaten by animals. The fruits with large seeds, such
as jackfruit, will be eaten and the seeds thrown away. The fruits with small and hard
seeds, such as berries, will be swallowed by the animals and the seeds are then
passed out with the faeces; Some plants, such as shorea, angsana and daendelion,
use the wind to help disperse their seeds. Besides being small and light, their seeds
have structures that enable the wind to carry them far away; Plant that live in or
near water, such as coconut trees, mangrove plants and nipah palm, rely on the
moving water to disperse their seeds. These seeds can usually float; Some plants,
such as the balsam plant, disperse their seeds by spitting of the fruit. The seeds are
usually contained in pods. When the pods become dry and are touched, they break
open with a force to throw the seeds away from the parent plant.
e. Adaptation for pollination: Plants use scents such as a sweet smell to attract insects
such as bees, butterflies and moths. Their flowers usually have bright colours to
attract these insects to them to collect nectar and pollen; Some of these flowers have
lines on their petals to guide the insects into the flower. When the insects move from
flower to flower to collect nectar, they help to transfer the pollen from one flower to
another.
7. The pond habitat is a small area of still water that is usually shallow. Many organisms
live in or near the pond.
a. The frog has webbed feet to help it move in water.
b. The dragonfly nymph is camouflaged under water. Water is drawn into its abdomen,
flows through the gills and expelled, propelling the nymph in water.
c. The water boatman has long hind legs covered in hairs that act like oars. It carries a
bubble of air under its body, that it uses to breathe in water.
d. The duck’s webbed feet help it to swim.
e. The water lily has roots that grow at the bottom of the pond and a long stem that
grows up in the water. It leaves are waterproof, large and flat, enabling them to float
on the water surface and get enough sunlight.
f. The hydrilla is submerged in water. It has air spaces in the stem to keep it upright.
The stem is also flexible and can bend without breaking. Its leaves are feathery,
ensuring greater surface area for absorbing water and minerals from the water.
8. The green habitat is usually warm, with many trees and bushes.
a. The raintree is a large tree that is home to many organisms.
b. The orchid plant grows on trees for support to receive sunlight.
c. The body of the honeybe has yellow and black stripes to blend in with the colours of
flowers and hide itself from predators.
d. The grasshopper’s body shape and colour helps it to blend into the surroundings.
e. The spider builds its web attached to trees to trap its prey. Its body colour also blends
with the surroundings so it cannot be spotted easily.
f. The mynah can fly. It builds its nest in the holes of trees.