Year 1 · Plants and animals · Section 1.6

All different

Adaptations

Organisms have adaptations suited to their way of life and environment. These features can help with gas exchange, movement, feeding, defence and reproduction, increasing the chances of survival.

The environment

Many aquatic animals, such as fish, have gills, fins and a streamlined body. These features help them swim efficiently. A smooth, mucus-covered surface reduces resistance in the water.

Many aquatic plants have flexible stems and leaves near the water surface, where they can receive enough light. Land plants may reduce water loss with small, thick leaves or take up water using extensive root systems.

Plants in wet environments often have broad leaves and less extensive roots. Some plants in dry environments store water in their leaves or stems. These are examples, not rules that apply to every species.

Feeding

Animals have adaptations suited to their diet. Birds' beaks provide clear examples:

• Conical beak: Short and strong, suited to cracking seeds.
• Tweezers-like beak: Slender and pointed, suited to catching insects.
• Hooked beak: Sharp and curved, suited to tearing prey.
• Probing beak: Long and slender, suited to finding small animals in wet soil.
• Filter-feeding beak: Broad, with structures that retain small food particles while water escapes.

Other animals, such as anteaters and squirrels, also have features suited to their food.

Moving around

Animals support their bodies on their feet in different ways:

• Plantigrade animals: Walk on the whole sole, as bears and humans do.
• Digitigrade animals: Walk on their toes, as cats do.
• Unguligrade animals: Walk on the tips of their toes, usually protected by hooves, as horses do.

These different body structures are suited to different ways of moving and living.

Defence

Plants and animals have adaptations that protect them. Brambles have prickles and nettles have stinging hairs. Some plants produce defensive chemicals, such as caffeine in coffee plants.

Animals use both body structures and behaviour for protection. Examples include a hedgehog's spines and camouflage in a leaf-tailed gecko. Protection against cold or heat is also important: a deer can grow a thick coat for cold conditions.