Adaptations, interdependence and competition: Practice Questions

Organisms that are adapted to live in extreme conditions, such as very high temperatures or high pressures at the bottom of the ocean, are known as:

A polar bear has a thick layer of blubber (fat) underneath its skin. What type of adaptation is this?

In cold environments, animals like the Arctic fox often have small ears and a round body shape. How does a low surface area to volume ratio (\(SA:V\)) aid their survival?

In a dense woodland, young trees often struggle to grow because they are shaded by larger, established trees. Which specific resource are these young trees primarily competing for?

Some desert animals produce very concentrated urine to conserve water. Which category of adaptation does this metabolic process fall into?

Identify three specific resources that plants typically compete for within a habitat.

Explain how huddling acts as a behavioural adaptation to help animals survive in cold environments.

Explain how a tapeworm is specifically adapted to function as a parasite inside the intestines of a mammal.

Organisms require a supply of materials from their surroundings and from other living organisms to survive and reproduce.

a) Define the term adaptation.

b) Plants in a woodland ecosystem often compete for resources. Name two abiotic resources that plants compete for.

c) Animals often compete for biotic or social resources. Name one resource animals compete for that plants typically do not.

d) Some animals, such as penguins, huddle together in cold climates to reduce heat loss. State whether this is a structural, behavioural, or functional adaptation.

Some organisms are adapted to live in conditions that would be lethal to most other life forms.

a) Define the term extremophile and provide two examples of environmental conditions they are adapted to.

b) Tapeworms are parasites that live inside the intestines of mammals. Suggest two adaptations (structural or functional) that allow a tapeworm to survive in the digestive system of its host.

c) Explain why a high concentration of salt in the soil can lead to the death of a non-adapted plant, referring to the process of osmosis.