Science: Adaptations for coping with physical factors of the environment

The physical factors of environments:

• Light
• Water
• Temperature
• Air
• Soil

Light is used for
-seeing
-photosynthesis

Seeing in the dark
Cats and owls have large eyes with light sensitive cells, able to see well at night, can hunt for food or escape from danger.

Plants need light for photosynthesis, some plants uses their roots to climb up trees and obtain more light, it enables its leaves to grow bigger.

Aquatic plants need light too. The flowers and leaves of water lilies stay above water.

The leaf stalks of water hyaciths are spongy. They have air spaces for the leaves of water hyaciths to stay above water.

Water
Water = essential for life

Fishes have streamlined bodies. Streamlined bodies = a body that has a pointed head and end, while the middle is bigger and broader.
Streamlined bodies helps a fish to move easily in the water by reducing friction between its body and the water. Its fins help it to balance and move in water.

Aquatic animals have gills to help them breathe underwater. Dophins and whales have blowholes on top of their heads. They can hold their breath for a long time underwater before surfacing to breathe.

Water scopions, water stick insects and mosquito larva have breathing tubes/air tubes which extend out of the water surface to help them breathe in air.

Camels drink a lot of water at a time. Some desert plants have deep and long roots. Others have shallow roots which are spread across a large area to absorb water.

The leaves of cactus are reduced to needles. The thick and fleshy stems store water, also have a waxy surface and few stomata.