ADAPTATION

by
Obalola D.A.
 Objectives
•Definition of Adaptation
•Types of Adaptation
•Effects of availability of water on
adaptive modification
•Structural adaptation (fish, tadpole,
toad, lizard, snail, crab, prawn, birds)
 Introduction
In order to withstand adverse conditions
of the environment and utilize to their
maximum benefit the nutrients and other
conditions prevailing therein, the
organisms develop certain morphological,
anatomical, physiological and reproductive
features.

Any feature of an organism or its part

which enables it to exist under conditions
of its habitat is called adaptation.
 Definition
Adaptations are the features and
behaviours of an organism which enable
the organism to live successfully in its
habitat

Adaptations make it possible for

organisms to respond and cope with
ecological factors in their habitats i.e. they
help organisms survive (live and grow) in
different areas or habitats
Types of Adaptation
Adaptations can generally be divided into
two groups:

• structural adaptations and

• behavioural adaptations
 Structural adaptations
* These are adaptations in structure or form
* They have to do with peculiar structures
for life processes
* For example, gills for respiration in
fishes; wings for flight in insects etc.
 Behavioural or Functional
adaptations
* These are adaptations in function or
behaviour
* They have to do with functions or
behaviour patterns that ensure the survival
of the organisms.
* For example, aestivation by snail to
survive dry weather season; seasonal
migration by some organisms to escape
Examples of Adaptations in
Plants
•Adaptations of plants to the amount of
water available (in the environment)
•Adaptations of plants to lack of certain
nutrients in soil e.g as seen in insectivorous
plants
•Adaptations of plants to survive invasion
and destruction by other plants, insects and
others critters. The rose bush, for example,
has thorns to keep away predators
•Adaptations of plants to resist bush fire
e.g. possession of thick and fire resistant
 •Adaptations of plants for support to obtain
sunlight e.g the climbers escape shade by
climbing other trees to obtain sunlight;
epiphytes grow on other plants for support in
order to obtain sunlight.
•Adaptations of plants to the nature of
substratum (soil) e.g adaptations of
Oxylophytes (plants of acidic soil);
adaptations of Halophytes (plants in saline
soil) etc.
Adaptation of Plants to the Amount of
Water Available
On the basis of water available, plants can
be divided into three groups:

* hydrophytes
* mesophytes
* xerophytes
 Hydrophytes
These are plants that grow inside water
or in very wet or moist environments. Such
plants have excess water.

•Examples include water lettuce, water

hyacinth, water lily etc
Water Lily (Nymphaea nelumbo)
Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
Water fern (Salvinia natans)
Mangrove tree (Avicennia )
Adaptations of Hydrophytes
•The floating ones have light bodies. This
makes them float easily in water e.g. water
lettuce, water hyacinth and water lily.
•Some hydrophytes have small or poor root
system. E.g. water lettuce and water lily. This
makes them to absorb very little amount of
water. Others do not have roots at all.
Example of such is bladderwort.
•Many hydrophytes have poorly developed
water conducting systems. This also prevents
the absorption of excess water. Example is
 •Possession of well developed stomata
and thin cuticles on the upper surface of
their leaves. These enable them to easily
get rid of excess water.
•Many hydrophytes have large well-
developed air spaces. These help to store
atmospheric oxygen since the water in
which they grow contains less oxygen.
The air spaces also enhance their
buoyancy.
 •Large hydrophytes like the white
mangroves have breathing roots or
pneumatophores. These roots stick out
into the atmosphere from the ground to
absorb atmospheric oxygen.
•Many large hydrophytes also have stilt
roots. These give support to the plant
because the muddy and waterlogged soil
on which they grow is often very soft.
 Mesophytes
These are plants that grow in
environments that are neither too wet nor
too dry. They do not have water in excess
yet they do not lack water.
•The environment in which they grow,
apart from having abundance of soil water,
also have a high relative humidity.
•Examples are most crops like cassava,
yam etc and ornamental plants like
hibiscus.
Adaptations of Mesophytes
•They have well developed root
systems. These enable them to absorb
plenty of water
•They have large broad and thin leaves.
•Their body surfaces especially the
leaves are covered by waxy cuticle. This
reduces water loss by transpiration.
 Xerophytes
These are plants that grow in extremely
dry environments like deserts. Water
supply in this area is scarce due to little or
no rainfall.

•They have features adapted for water

conservation.
•Examples are cactus, euphorbia, aloe
etc
Euphorbia virosa
Cactus
Aloe vera
Adaptations of Xerophytes
•They have deep and extensive root
systems for the absorption of as much
water as possible.
•Some xerophytes have swollen stems
and leaves which contain water storage
cells for storing water e.g. euphorbia, aloe
etc.
•The leaves, where present is covered
with thick cuticles or wax to reduce water
loss.
 •Some xerophytes have reduced leaves
e.g. acacia, others have leaves modified
into spines or thorns e.g. cactus while
others have no leaves at all or leaves
reduced to scales e.g. casuarina to reduce
water loss through transpiration.
Note: In cases where leaves have been
replaced by spines or scales, the stem performs
the traditional functions of leaves especially
photosynthesis.
 •Some xerophytes have leaves with
sunken stomata which also reduce water
loss through transpiration.
•The protoplasm of the cells of most
xerophytes can tolerate large amount of
water loss and long period of no water
without getting killed or damaged. This
helps the plants to tolerate long periods of
drought.
 Adaptations in Animals
•Animal Adaptations to Aquatic
Environment
•Animal Adaptations to Terrestrial
Environment
•Animal Adaptations to Arboreal
Environment
 Animal Adaptations to
Aquatic Environment
•Possession of streamlined body for
easy movement in water e.g tilapia fish,
toad.
•Possession of swim bladder for the
purpose of buoyancy in water e.g tilapia
fish
•Possession of fins for movement as in
the case of fish and webbed toes in toad
•Possession of gills for gaseous
exchange
 Aquatic Adaptive Features:
streamlined bodies, gills, fins & tails
 •Possession of tail for swimming e.g tad
poles
•Possession of sticky under-surface for
attachment of surfaces of objects e.g
snails
•Possession of suckers or hairs for
attachment to vegetation so as to avoid
being swept away by current water e.g
leeches
 Animal Adaptations to
Terrestrial Environment

•Possession of powerful limbs for

movement e.g mammals
•Possession of lungs for gaseous
exchange e.g birds, reptiles
•Possession of sweat glands for
excretion and cooling
Adaptive Features for Predation
 •Possession of skin as in mammals and
cuticle by insects to protect and prevent
drying up and injury
•possession of hairs as in mammals and
that of feathers as in birds.
 Animal Adaptations to
Arboreal Habitat
•Possession of wings and streamlined
bodies for flight e.g birds
•Possession of bright colour as well as
camouflage e.g. chameleon
•Possession of powerful limbs, claws
and tails for climbing and piercing e.g.
monkeys
•Possession of hollow bones to make
them light e.g birds
•Possession of strong muscles and
tendons to ease flight e.g. birds
Adaptive Features of Bird for Flight
Adaptive Features for Arboreal life
Adaptive Features for Arboreal life
 Adaptations of Parasites
•Presence of suckers and hooks for
attachment
•They shield themselves inside their
hosts intestine with anti-enzymes in order
to avoid being digested
•They possess very thin membrane
which enhances the diffusion of already
digested food from their host into their own
system.
Adaptive Features of Tapeworm for
Parasitic life
 •Some like the tapeworms are
hermaphrodites and do not need opposite
sex before fertilization.
•They lay numerous eggs to make sure
their new host is reached.
•Some have intermediate hosts which
contribute to their confirmed existence
 Conclusion

Adaptations ensure survival of

organisms in their various habitats