Question

Following are the responses of different animals to various abiotic factors. Describe each one with the help of an example.

1) Regulate

2) Conform

3) Migrate

4) Suspend

Answer 1

Regulate: Some organisms maintain homeostasis by physiological and sometimes behavioural means.
In mammals, during summer, sweating occurs profusely and the evaporation brings down the temperature of the body.

Conform: About 99% of animals and almost all plants cannot maintain a constant internal environment. Their body temperature changes with the ambient temperature. In aquatic organisms, the osmotic concentration of the body fluids changes with that of the osmotic concentration of the ambient water. These animals and plants are called osmoconformers.

Migrate: It is the temporary movement from a stressful habitat to a more hospitable area and returns when the stressful period is over.

Every winter the famous Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur (Rajasthan) hosts, thousands of migratory birds coming from Siberia and other extremely cold Northern regions every winter.

Suspend: Under unfavourable conditions bacteria, fungi and lower plants slow down their metabolic rate and form a thick-walled spore to overcome stressful conditions. These spores germinate on the onset of the suitable conditions.