Adaptations of Herbivores & Plants
Adaptations for herbivory
- Herbivores are heterotrophs that feed on plants
- Different groups of organisms have different adaptations that allow them to survive on plant tissues
- Adaptations are characteristics that aid an organism's survival in its environment
- Examples of adaptations for herbivory include:
- Herbivory in insects
- Aphids have specialised mouthparts known as stylets that are able to pierce plant tissues to reach the sugary sap inside the phloem
- Insects such as caterpillars, grasshoppers and beetles have mouthparts called mandibles which allow them to cut through leaves
- Herbivory in mammals
- Grazing animals such as sheep and horses have flat teeth for grinding plant matter
- Ruminant mammals such as cattle and deer have digestive systems adapted to improve their digestion of tough plant material; they have stomachs with several compartments from which they can regurgitate and re-chew their food, breaking down plant matter into smaller pieces to aid digestion
- Ruminants have specialised communities of bacteria that live in their digestive tracts which aid the breakdown of cellulose
- The bacteria have the enzymes needed to break down cellulose, while the herbivores do not
- Some mammals have the ability to neutralise toxins produced by plants, e.g.
- Some deer produce proteins in their saliva that bind to toxins called tannins
- Proboscis monkeys have gut bacteria that can neutralise certain toxins found in leaves
- Mammals may use 'cautious sampling' when they first encounter a new plant, meaning that any toxic chemicals will not be consumed in large enough quantities to be dangerous
- Herbivory in insects
CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Public domain, via pxfuel |
Aphids (left) feed by inserting their stylets into the phloem of plant stems, while caterpillars (right) cut through leaves with their sharp mandibles
Plant adaptations against herbivory
- Herbivory causes damage to plants, reducing their leaf surface area available for photosynthesis and their ability to transport substances
- Plants are unable to move away from herbivores, so they have other methods of deterring animals that might attempt to eat them:
- Mechanical deterrents, e.g.
- Cacti have sharp spines to deter herbivores that might attempt to eat their succulent stems
- Nettles have tiny hairs that contain toxins which irritate the skin
- Thick bark prevents insects such as aphids from piercing plant stems
- Many tiny hairs on leaves may make it more difficult for insects to bite into/pierce plant tissues
- Toxic secondary compounds, e.g.
- Foxgloves produce a toxic compound known as digitalis which can affect the heartbeat of humans and animals
- Deadly nightshade can produce a toxin known as atropine which can cause muscle paralysis by blocking the binding of neurotransmitters
- Many plants produce chemicals called tannins which can deter herbivores by their bitter taste, as well as having a negative impact on the efficiency of digestive processes
- Alkaloid chemicals, such as caffeine and nicotine, can deter insect herbivory, having toxic effects on growth and on nerve impulse transmission
- Mechanical deterrents, e.g.
CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
CC BY-SA 2.0, via geograph |
Nettles have tiny hairs (left) which contain skin irritant chemicals, and foxgloves (right) produce toxic secondary compounds