Adaptation to Different Environments

Definition

This refers to how organisms change over time in response to their environment. These changes enhance their ability to survive and reproduce.

Analogy

It's like adjusting your clothing based on weather conditions. If it's cold outside, you wear warm clothes; if it's hot, you wear lighter clothes. Similarly, organisms adapt their physical characteristics or behaviors according to their environmental conditions.

Related terms

Natural Selection: The process by which traits that improve an organism's chances of survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently to future generations than those that do not.

Evolutionary Fitness: A measure of an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Phenotypic Plasticity: The ability of one genotype (genetic makeup) to produce more than one phenotype (observable physical properties), depending on environmental conditions.