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Have you seen the previous blog post regarding plant adaptations in I/GCSE Biology?
If yes, let's move on seeing animal adaptations! 😎
Staying warm
In I/GCSE Biology, it's crucial that you understand why and how animals stay warm!
Reasons why animals stay warm:
- To survive and grow need to adapt to environment (temp/water)
COLD VS HOT
- COLD ➡️ animals need to reduce head loss. Thick fur insulates from cold air
- Extra fat gives increase insulation and gives animal energy when food is scarce
- Summer ➡️ animals moult/shed fur – easier to lose heat
- Seals – thick layer of fat – heat loss in water
Keeping cool and avoiding thirst
It's commonly asked in I/GCSE Biology too!
- Little water + hot at day, cold at night
- Small animals – live in burrows (temperature more constant) don’t need to drink water (get from food)
- Kidneys excrete urine – very little water
- Large animals e.g. camels tolerate high levels of dehydration
👇 Let's look at the figure showing how a camel adapts to the environment below! 👇
Body size and shape rules
In I/GCSE Biology, body size and shape of animals also make adaptation to the living environment! For example:
- Birds 🐦 + mammals 🐋 of similar species ➡️ larger + heavier in colder climates
There’s a correlation between body mass and average annual temperature
- Temperature of larger animal will drop less rapidly
- Limbs, tails and ears are longer in warmer climates – act as heat-radiating organs
Remember this in I/GCSE Biology,
Large animal ➡️ large surface area BUT small surface area to volume ratio
References:
- "GCSE Adaptations", https://www.educationquizzes.com/library/GCSE-Biology/Unit-1---Adaptations-for-Survival.jpg
- "Boardworks GCSE Science", https://slideplayer.com/slide/6885717/23/images/9/Boardworks+GCSE+Science%3A+Biology+Adaptation.jpg
- "Surface to Volume Ratios Big animal Small animal", https://s2.studylib.net/store/data/010312407_1-97b1083dbefdef3e6980c69d36bdd5c1.png
And we're done with this topic! Well Done!
Drafted by Alyssa (Biology)