AQA Biology 4.7.1.4 · Combined and Triple

Adaptations

Every feature that helps an organism survive is one of three kinds: a body part, a behaviour, or a process inside. Sort them, then explain a stranger from its description.

Triple Science · Higher tier

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Wrong address.

A polar bear is moved to a hot desert.

If you had to guess, would it be comfortable, or would it overheat?

Three types

Structural, behavioural, functional.

Organisms have features (adaptations) that enable them to survive in the conditions in which they normally live. These adaptations may be structural, behavioural or functional. Tap each.

Adaptations are not chosen. Individuals with a feature that suits the environment are more likely to survive and breed, so over many generations the feature becomes common: natural selection.

Classify

Two foxes.

Pick an animal, then give each feature its type.

Thick white winter fur

Which type?

Small ears and short muzzle

Which type?

Curls up with its tail over its nose to sleep

Which type?

Thick fur on the soles of its paws

Which type?

Heat, and the extremes

Ears, and vents.

Heat is lost through the surface. A large animal with small ears and short limbs has a small surface area compared with its volume, so it keeps heat in. A small animal with big ears has a large surface area compared with its volume, so it loses heat. The calculation is in Transport in cells; here you use the idea.

Some organisms live in environments that are very extreme, such as at high temperature, pressure, or salt concentration. These organisms are called extremophiles. Bacteria living in deep sea vents are extremophiles.

What name is given to organisms that live in very extreme environments?

Pick one.

Information

The sand cat lives in deserts. Fur covers the soles of its feet. It hunts at night and shelters in a burrow by day. Its kidneys make very concentrated urine.

Using the information, which feature is a behavioural adaptation, and what is it for?

Pick one.

Think again · did it choose?

“The fennec fox grew big ears because it was hot.”

Your call

Choose

How did fennec foxes come to have big ears?

Sort

Which type?

Place each adaptation.

Tap a card, then tap the box it belongs in. Tap a placed card to take it back.

Command words in this lesson

Explain: How an organism is adapted to its environment, from given information.
Suggest: How an unfamiliar organism is adapted to the conditions described.
Classify: An adaptation as structural, behavioural or functional.

Key fact

Adaptations may be structural (body parts), behavioural (what the organism does) or functional (processes inside the body). Extremophiles live in very extreme environments, such as bacteria in deep sea vents.

Key note · AQA 4.7.1.4

Adaptations

Organisms have features (adaptations) that enable them to survive in the conditions in which they normally live. These adaptations may be structural, behavioural or functional.
Structural: a body part. Behavioural: what the organism does. Functional: a process inside the body.
A small surface area compared with volume keeps heat in; a large one loses heat.
Some organisms live in environments that are very extreme, such as at high temperature, pressure, or salt concentration. These organisms are called extremophiles. Bacteria living in deep sea vents are extremophiles.
Given information about an unfamiliar organism, explain how each feature helps it survive where it lives.

Photograph this card. Tomorrow, cover it and say each line first.

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Mixing up behavioural and functional?

The sand cat and other described animals are used as information to reason from.