Adaptation of Plant and Animals

 Adaptation of Plant and Animals

 

Adaptation of plant and animals

Animals and plants adapt themselves for their different habitats.

Adaptations

The ability of living organisms to adjust themselves to the surroundings is called as adaptation. 

Adaptations are the changes in structure or behaviour of an organism that will allow the organism to survive in that habitat.

Plants and animals make some natural adjustments in some features to fit themselves into their environment.

Different living organisms adapt themselves to their habitats in different ways.

Adaptations can be brought about by changes in the body, changes in the behaviour and changes in location.

Adaptation in terrestrial habitat

Terrestrial habitat: All the deserts, mountains and forests and grasslands are included under terrestrial habitat.

 Desert:

 Camels show different adaptations to live in deserts.

They possess long legs,

long eyelashes,

covered nostrils,

special fat cells, modified cells in the stomach 

Snakes and rats live in burrows and come out only during the night when it is cool.

Plants present in the forest are xerophytes or desert plants exhibit some adaptations to live in the desert conditions. 

Leaves are reduced to spines. 

Stems are green and fleshy to carry out photosynthesis and to store water.

 Roots grow deep into the soil to absorb water. The reduced leaf and the thick waxy layer of stem minimize transpiration. 

Mountain region and arctic region

Animals in arctic region

Most of the trees in cold mountains regions are cone shaped. The leaves are very thin and needle-shaped to slide off the snow and rain water immediately.

Animals in mountain areas have long thick skin to protect themselves from cold climate They possess strong hooves to run easily.

Grasslands:

Lions living in the forests possess skin colour so as to match their environment. They hide themselves in grasslands to catch their prey. They possess strong claws and teeth to tear the food. They have sharp eyesight.

Deer possess long ears to have sharp hearing sense. Deer possess eyes on the side of its head which makes it look in all directions. 

They have long legs to run fast.

Adaptation in aquatic Habitat:

All the fresh water and marine water bodies are included under aquatic habitat

Fish possess have streamlined bodies, which reduce friction and allow them to move freely in water. 

Sea animals like the octopus and the squid do not possess streamlined body as they stay deep inside the ocean.

They have the ability to make their body streamlined when they move in the water.

Aquatic animals possess gills that help them to absorb the dissolved oxygen from water. 

Dolphins and whales possess blowholes to breathe in air from atmosphere directly.

Frogs are amphibious in nature. i.e  a frog can live both in water and on land. 

Frogs have strong hind legs to hop on land and webbed feet to swim in water.

Frogs also have a protective membrane called the nictitating membrane on their eyes.

Aquatic Plant adaptation

Aquatic plants have much smaller roots which are mostly free floating.

Stems are long and light. 

Leaves in submerged plants possess ribbon - like leaves which allow the plants to bend themselves in the direction of the flowing water.