Adaptations
Build confidence in Adaptations for GCSE Biology with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style questions with worked answers for AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Adaptations can be structural, behavioural or functional, and extremophiles are organisms adapted to survive very extreme conditions.
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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.
Topic overview
Adaptations are features that enable an organism to survive in the conditions in which it normally lives. They may be structural, behavioural or functional.
Structural adaptations are physical features, such as a polar bear's thick fur and small surface area to volume ratio. Behavioural adaptations are ways an organism acts, such as migration or hibernation. Functional adaptations relate to processes inside the body, such as producing very concentrated urine to conserve water.
Some organisms live in extreme conditions such as high temperature, pressure or salt concentration. These are called extremophiles, and bacteria living in deep sea vents are the standard example.
Revision notes
The three types
Structural: physical features such as thick fur, large ears or a streamlined body.
Behavioural: how the organism acts, such as migration or hibernation. Functional: internal processes such as producing concentrated urine or slowing the metabolism.
Cold and hot climates
Arctic animals: thick fur and fat for insulation, small surface area to volume ratio to reduce heat loss, white camouflage.
Desert animals: large surface area to volume ratio to increase heat loss, thin fur, being active at night, and producing very little concentrated urine.
Extremophiles
Extremophiles live in conditions of high temperature, pressure or salt concentration.
Bacteria living in deep sea vents are the standard example. Their enzymes function in conditions that would denature those of most organisms.
Key points
- Adaptations enable survival in the normal environment.
- Structural adaptations are physical features.
- Behavioural adaptations are ways of acting.
- Functional adaptations are internal processes.
- Arctic animals have a small surface area to volume ratio.
- Extremophiles live in extreme conditions.
Worked examples
Example 1
Name the three types of adaptation and give an example of each. [3 marks]
Model answer
Structural, such as thick fur for insulation (1 mark). Behavioural, such as migrating to a warmer climate in winter (1 mark). Functional, such as producing concentrated urine to conserve water (1 mark).
Example 2
Explain how a small surface area to volume ratio helps an Arctic animal survive. [2 marks]
Model answer
A smaller surface area relative to the animal's volume means less heat is lost through the body surface (1 mark), so the animal can maintain its body temperature more easily in a cold climate (1 mark).
Example 3
Explain what is meant by an extremophile and give one example. [2 marks]
Model answer
An extremophile is an organism adapted to live in extreme conditions such as high temperature, pressure or salt concentration (1 mark). Bacteria living in deep sea vents are an example (1 mark).
Common mistakes
Classifying an adaptation as the wrong type.
Thick fur is structural; hibernating is behavioural; concentrated urine is functional.
Getting the surface area to volume ratio backwards.
Cold climates favour a SMALL ratio to reduce heat loss; hot climates favour a large one.
Saying an organism adapts during its lifetime.
Adaptations arise through natural selection over generations.
Giving only structural adaptations.
All three types are examinable and are usually asked for together.
Exam tips
- Learn one clear example of each adaptation type.
- Link every adaptation to the survival benefit it provides.
- Get the surface area to volume relationship the right way round.
- Name deep sea vent bacteria as your extremophile example.
Key terms
- Adaptation
- A feature enabling an organism to survive in its environment.
- Extremophile
- An organism adapted to live in extreme conditions.
- Structural adaptation
- A physical feature aiding survival.
- Behavioural adaptation
- A way of acting that aids survival.
Related topics
Written and reviewed against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Spotted an error? Let us know.