Question

tell me about "adaptation in living organisms" with pictures and adaptive features of epiphytes, mesopytes , xerophytes,hydrophytes etc.​

Answer 1

Answer:

The structural features of living organisms that develop over a period of time to enable them to survive and reproduce in a particular environment is called adaptation. In other words, it is the ability of an organism to adjust in a particular environment or surrounding. An organism well- adapted to a particular environment enables it to get necessary food, water, shelter and also its mating partner to continue its generation.

Aquatic adaptation in plants (hydrophytes):

A plant that is adapted to living either in waterlogged soil or partly or wholly submerged in water is called a hydrophyte.

Hydrophytes are those plants which live in water and adjust with their surroundings.

They are of three major types; emergent, floating and submerged.

Emergent hydrophytes:

Emergent plants grow up from soil and are often planted or found along the shoreline of a pond. Eg. Nyphaea, Nelumbo, Nelumbium, Marsilea etc.

Their roots are underwater, but their shoots grow up out of the water. Eg. Typha and water lilies (Nymphaea).

Stem is long, slender and flexible.

Nelumbo (water lily)

Submerged hydrophytes:

Submerged plants are rooted. Eg. Ceratophyllum, Utricularia, Hydrilla, Vallisneria, Potamogeton

Exchange of gases takes place through diffusion.

Mechanical tissues like collenchyma and sclerenchyma are more or less absent and stem is long, slender and flexible.

Stomata are totally absent.

Xylem is poorly developed as the water absorption takes place through all over the surface of the plant body.