Explanation

Adaptations are inherited traits improving survival in particular environments. Structural: camels store water, cacti have thick stems. Behavioral: migration, hibernation. Physiological: desert animals concentrate urine.

Desert adaptations: water storage, reduced water loss, heat tolerance, nocturnal activity. Aquatic adaptations: streamlined body, fins, gills. Each environment demands specific solutions.

Adaptations result from natural selection over generations – not individual change within lifetime. Well-adapted organisms survive and reproduce more; poorly adapted ones die before reproducing. Environment shapes evolution.