What is an adaptation? Adaptations are the features and strategies which assist organisms in surviving in a particular environment, including by maintaining their internal environment within tolerance limits. The three main adaptations include;

• Physiological processes

• Structural features

• Behavioural adaptations

What are physiological adaptations?

• Physiological Adaptations: Adaptations related to how an organism, system, organ, tissue or cell functions; internal body processes that take place to regulate and maintain homeostasis for an organism to survive in its environment

Physiological processes maintain a balanced, internal environment through monitoring and adjusting to changing conditions, involving three components of a negative feedback system; a receptor, control centre and effector. What are structural adaptations?

• Structural Adaptations: Adaptations related to an organism's shape, specialised features and size, enhance an organism's chances for survival in particular environments; these features have a function, including cell structure and the size and shape of an organism

What are behavioural adaptations?

• Behavioural Adaptations: Adaptations related to how an organism acts in order to increase its chances for survival in environments; examples of behavioural adaptations include migrating to a different area, huddling together with other members of the population for warmth etc.