Adaptation is a
way of living things to adapt to the environment in which they live. This
adaptation is needed by living beings on earth, because every earthly
environment has its own characteristics. Suppose the temperature is very cold
temperatures and there is plenty of water whereas otherwise in the desert the
temperature is hot, arid, and difficult to get water.
Therefore place
the living creatures have different shapes and characteristics to adapt
themselves to the environment. Like, Polar bears have thick fur to protect
their bodies from cold temperatures and in camel desert have a hump or a
protruding part on its back as a reserve of water because it is difficult to
get water.
The environment
in which living creatures multiply is called habitat. In general, living beings
that have adapted in certain environments are difficult to adapt elsewhere.
Except humans, because humans have the brain and mind as a tool to adapt to
various environments. This brain and mind is used to adjust the environment to
its will. Suppose, the poles are cold then he made a house that is shaped like
a dome because with such a form the temperature inside would be warmer.
Kinds of Adaptation
A.
Morphological Adaptation
Adaptation of
morphology is the adjustment of the body shape of living things or the living
organisms to the environment in which they live. In this adaptation is usually
a form of adjustment of body shape as in the shape of the beak, shape of the
foot, as well as the whole body shape as a whole.
Adaptation to
this body shape serves to adjust the shape of his body by the way he gets food
and adjust his body shape with how he lived in the place.
B.
Physiological Adaptation
Adaptation
Physiology is the adjustment of the body function of a living thing to its
environmental condition. This adaptation can not be seen directly by the eye.
Because the adaptation of physiology concerns the function of internal organs
of living things with their environment. Such as the human heart function to
adapt to high areas.
C. Adaptation
of Behavior
Behavioral
adaptation is the way in which the creatures adapt to their surroundings in the
form of behavior. This behavioral adaptation is related to the actions of
living things to adapt or protect themselves from predators. In addition,
adaptation of behavior associated with the habit of living things to adapt and
maintain their life in an environment.
Examples of
Adaptation
Examples of
this adaptation are divided into three parts: the example of morphological
adaptation, examples of physiological adaptations and examples of behavioral
adaptations.
A. Examples of
morphological adaptations
Examples of
morphological adaptations to terrestrial living creatures:
1) An xerophyte
plant such as a cacti has thick stems to store water, has a spiny leaf that
serves to reduce evaporation, and has long, spreading roots for easier access
to water. This is done because of its arid and barren habitat.
2) The desert
bunny has a big ear to cool off. Because when the rabbit's blood flows through
the ears the blood releases the surrounding heat.
3) Desert frog
has horned legs useful for digging holes up to 3 meters. This hole is used to
protect itself from the scorching heat of the desert.
B. Example of
Physiological adaptation
Examples of
physiological adaptations include:
1) When in a
high area like peak mountain humans produce more red blood grains to bind more
oxygen. Because in the highlands the atmospheric pressure is smaller than the
lowland so only a little oxygen can enter our bodies.
2) Fish that
live in salt water is more concentrated than urine ika that live in fresh
water. Fish that live in the salty water to release more concentrated urine so
that the amount of salt in the fish is not excessive.
C. Examples of
Adaptation of Behavior
Examples of
behavioral adaptations:
1) Chameleons
change their body color according to their environment more easily get their
prey.
2) Whales and
dolphins regularly appear on the surface of water for breathing. Because the
whales and dolphins are mammals that breathe with the lungs.
3) Termites
that peel the skin will be eaten back by the termites. This is done because
within the skin of termites there is a termite intestines that come peeling and
the intestine has a flagellate that produces cellulase enzymes that can digest
wood. In addition, young termites lick the rayao adult rectum in order to
obtain cellulase enzymes to digest wood.
The survival
curve is a graph showing the number or proportion of living individuals at any
age for a given species or group (eg male / female or female / female). A
survival curve can be constructed for a given cohort (a group of individuals of
the same age) based on the life table.
There are three
common types of survival curves:
• Type I curves
characterized by high survival early in life and moderation, followed by a
rapid decline in later life survival. These species are typical curves that
produce some offspring but treat them well, including humans and many other
large mammals.
• The Type II
curve is an intermediate between type I and type III, where constant mean
mortality is experienced regardless of age. Some birds and some lizards follow
this pattern.
• Type III
curves, the greatest deaths experienced since the beginning of life, with
relatively low mortality rates for those still living in the bottleneck effect.
This type of curve is a characteristic of a species that produces a large
number of offspring (see r / K selection theory). This curve includes most
marine invertebrates. For example, oysters produce millions of eggs, but most
larvae die from predation or other causes; Larvae that survive long enough to
produce a living hard shell relatively long.
The number or
proportion of living organisms is plotted on the y-axis, generally with a
logarithmic scale beginning with 1,000 individuals, while their age, often as
the maximum proportion of age, is plotted on the x-axis. In mathematical
statistics, the function of the syntax is one of the special forms of the
survival curve and plays the basic part in the analysis of the syntax.
