Adaptation and genes: practice questions
Use the same plan: underline, predict, eliminate and give a reason. Remember the facts. The climate of a region tells you what kinds of living things can live there. A structural adaptation is part of the body, such as a polar bear’s thick fur and fat. A behavioural adaptation is an action, such as geese migrating to warmer places. Water, sunlight, air and temperature are abiotic factors. Baby rabbits look like their parents because genes pass from parents to offspring. Some plants discourage herbivores with sharp spines, a bitter taste or poison. Remember that a trait you learn or a scar you get is not inherited. Sorting each idea into a box in your head makes the answer easier to find.
| Idea | Example |
|---|---|
| structural adaptation | thick fur, spines, long legs |
| behavioural adaptation | migration, hiding by day |
| abiotic factor | sunlight, water, air, temperature |
| inherited trait | eye colour, leaf shape |
| Statement | Reason |
|---|---|
| calf has mother’s horn shape | genes (inherited) |
| a scar on the mother | not inherited |
Sort game. With a grown-up, write 12 cards: six adaptations (three structural, three behavioural), three abiotic factors and three biotic factors. Shuffle and sort them into four groups, saying a reason for each card.