Animals and plants are adapted to the conditions of the habitats in which they live.

Transcription

1 Duncanrig Secondary School National 4 Biology Unit 3 Topic 5 & 6: Adaptations for survival Pupils Activity Booklet 1

2 Adaptations for survival Copy this heading Animals and plants are adapted to the conditions of the habitats in which they live. What is an adaptation? Structural adaptations Structural adaptation are physical features of an organism such as their shape, body size, or any other structure in relation to the body. For example the polar bears big feet mean that they are adapted them to swim in the water and hunt for food without falling through the snow. behavioural adaptations Behavioural adaptations are the things organisms do to survive. For example, bird calls and migration are behavioural adaptations. These adaptations help organisms survive and reproduce in their environment. Each adaptation has been produced by evolution. This means that the adaptations have developed over many generations. Answer the following questions in sentences 1. (i) What is meant by structural adaptations? (ii) Give an example 2. (i) What is meant by behavioural adaptations? (ii) Give an example 3. Why are these adaptations important? 2

3 Structural adaptations Activity 1a Copy and complete this note Copy this heading Living organisms depend on their physical features to help them obtain food, keep safe, build homes, withstand weather, and reproduce A cactus is adapted to living in the desert in hot dry conditions because it has: Thick waxy cuticle on the leaves and stem. This reduces w l. Reduced leave surface area. Leaves are needle like or rounded, this reduces the surface area and water loss by e. Succulent tissue in the stem stores w. Spines protect succulent tissues from Activity 1b Collect the diagram of the cactus plant and glue it into your jotter. a eating them. R underground cover a large area, so they can a a lot of water when it rains. Activity 2 Your teacher will show you a selection of plants that are adapted for living in hot dry conditions. How many of the structural adaptations can you see? Make a list in your jotter. 3

4 Activity 3 collect the diagram below glue it into your jotter copy and complete this note The fennec fox is adapted to living in the desert because it has L e help lose excess body heat on hot days in the desert. B underground and having a n lifestyle helps restrict water loss. This is an example of a behavioural adaptation. Thick f helps insulate them from the cold desert nights Sandy coloured fur helps to reflect h, and also provides excellent c. 4

5 Activity 4 collect the diagram below glue it into your jotter copy and complete this note A polar bear is adapted to living in the Arctic because it has W fur which helps them blend in with the snow and ice. Thick fur to help keep it w. Layer of f under skin which helps it stay warm. Wide, large paws, so that it does not sink into the s. N which it can close when swimming under water so no water can get in. S ears, so it does not lose much heat. 5

6 Collect the diagram of the hawk moth and copy this note Mimicry Mimicry is adapting to look like something else. An example would be the hawk moth as it looks just like a dead leaf, tattered and veined. This helps the hawk moth avoid detection by predators. Activity 5 Collect the adaptations information cards. Write a paragraph in your jotter about the physical adaptations of 4 of the organisms 6

7 Behavioural adaptations copy this note Innate behaviour Innate behaviour is instinctive or inborn; it is inherited genetically and does not have to be learned. Activity 6 Collect the behaviour adaptations information cards. Write a paragraph in your jotter about each of the following; Swarming Huddling Migration Territorial behaviour 7

8 Learned behaviour copy this note Learned behaviour is gained by experience or by watching others. Imprinting Imprinting is a learning process where a young animal learns to follow the first large moving object it sees. This is usually another animal of its own kind. Sometimes it is not! Activity 7 Collect the note on imprinting, complete it and then glue into your notes. 8

9 Communication copy this note Communication between individuals allows knowledge to be passed on. Bees and ants pass on knowledge about food sources. Activity 7 Watch the video about communication in bees and ants. Answer the following questions in sentences; 1. When a bee finds a good source of food it performs a series of movements. What is this called? 2. What information must the bee give to the rest of the hive? 3. Why is it important that this information is passed on? 4. How do ants communicate to the rest of the nest that they have found a good source of food? 5. How do ants avoid going back to the source of food once it has all been collected? 6. Why is this important? 9

10 Habituation copy this heading Habituation is an extremely simple form of learning, in which an animal, after a period of exposure to a stimulus, stops responding. Prairie dogs give alarm calls when mammals, large birds, or snakes approach. When they hear the alarm call, they stop feeding and hide in their burrows. When prairie dog towns are located near trails used by humans, giving alarm calls every time a person walks by is a waste of time and energy for the group. Therefore, they learn that there is no threat and therefore no need to raise the alarm. Habituation examples A turtle draws its head back into its shell when its shell is touched. After being touched repeatedly, the turtle realizes it s not in danger and no longer hides. A caged hamster becomes frightened when a person taps on its cage; however, when it realizes that the taps pose it no danger, it becomes used to hearing them. Ducks in a small pond at a park are scared of people and fly away when approached. They become used to humans over time as they interact with them and as people feed them, causing them to realise that the humans are not a threat. A snail is moving across a table. While initially tapping the table causes the snail to retreat into its shell, it eventually knows that the tapping is not a threat and continues its journey without retreating. 10

11 Activity 7 Answer the following questions in sentences; 1. What is habituation? 2. What is the advantage of habituation? 11