Design and Survival

1
Design and Survival

• How adaptations can aid survival

2
Hair colour

• How can hair colour aid survival?

3
Hair Colour

• Arctic Fox
• In winter it has white fur which camouflages well
  with the snow and ice
• In summer it has a redder fur which camouflages
  better with the grassland

4
Hair colour

• Polar bears
• Their fur is translucent it is not actually
  white more like a fibre optic tube.
• It directs the sun light onto their black skin.
• This helps them absorb more heat from the sun

5
Hair length

• How can hair length aid survival?

6
Hair length

• The extinct mammoth had long hair to help trap
  heat and survive in glacial conditions

7
Hair length

• The mammoths nearest surviving relative the
  elephant has short hair so it does not trap heat
  in the hot environment it inhabits.

8
Ear size

• How can ear size aid survival?

9
Ear size

• Arctic fox
• Has short ears to reduce heat loss in its cold
  habitat

10
Ear size

• European fox
• Has larger ears for better prey detection heat
  loss not being too much of a problem

11
Ear size

• European hares have bigger ears than artic hares

12
Ear size

• African elephants use their large ears as heat
  convectors to get rid of excess body heat and to
  cool themselves down

13
Adaptations to the environment
14
Adaptations in fish
15
Adaptations in fish

• Fish have gills.
• Gills allow fish to extract dissolved oxygen from
  the water in which they live.

16
Adaptations in fish

• Fish have a streamlined shape.
• This allows them to move through the water
  quickly using a minimum amount of energy.

17
Adaptations in fish

• Fish have a body covered in scales
• Scales are covered in mucus (a slimy substance)
  which helps lubricate the surface of the fish so
  it can move through the water more easily

18
Adaptation in plants
19
Adaptation in plants

• Roots
• Plants roots are adapted to fulfil two functions
• Take up water and essential nutrients from the
  soil
• Anchor the plant firmly in place

20
Adaptation in plants

• Leaves
• Plants leaves are superbly adapted to capture the
  light energy from the sun and change it into food
  by photosynthesis.

21
Adaptation in plants

• Leaves
• Plants leaves all have a covering of a protective
  cuticle
• This protects them from drying out, UV light, and
  from some micro organisms that could cause
  disease.

22

• All living things are adapted to ensure their
  survival in the habitat where they live.
• This was a key realisation of Charles Darwin.