Acclimatization is a process in which an individual gives their best to adjust to the surroundings according to the changes occurring in the environment. The common factors which make organisms adjust themselves are change in altitude, temperature, humidity, photoperiod, or pH.
- By adapting to these conditions, the organisms become capable of survival in adverse environmental conditions.
- The process of acclimatization is not time consuming.
- It might take few hours or week.
- Unlike evolution which takes place over several generations, this takes place within the organism’s lifetime.
- This may occur discreetly or may represent part of a periodic cycle.
Also Read: Difference between Natural Selection and Adaptation
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Keywords: Acclimatization, Adaptation, Environment, Temperature, Organisms, Evolution, Periodic cycle, Phenotypic traits
What is Acclimatization?
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Acclimatization refers to the process in which an organism adjusts its behavior or physiology in response to changes in its environment. These phenotypic traits are often noticed within a brief period and within the lifetime of the organism.
- It is also reversible in some cases.
- Organisms can adjust their morphological, behavioral, physical, or biochemical traits in response to changes in their environment.
- The capacity to acclimate to adverse environmental situations is evident in thousands of species.
- However, researchers know very little about how and why acclimatization occurs.
Example in plants
Maple trees, irises, and tomatoes can survive freezing temperatures if the temperature gradually drops lower and lower each night over a period of days or weeks. However, the same drop might kill them if it occurred suddenly.
Example in animals
Fish are capable of gradually adjusting to changes in water temperature and quality. Thus, tropical fish sold at pet stores are often kept in acclimatization bags until this process is complete.
Acclimatization
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Difference Between Acclimatization and Adaptation
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Adaptation refers to an organism’s ability to change its physical and chemical makeup to adjust to its changing habitat over a long period of time, usually across generations. On the other hand, acclimatization refers to the process of developing transient changes by an individual to suit the changes in the environment.
Given below are the key differences between adaptation and acclimatization.
| Adaptation | Acclimatization |
|---|---|
| Adaptation is long term process and its permananet adjustment in organism with the changing climate or habitat. | Acclimatization is a rapid and temporary adjustment of living organisms to sustain in their surroundings. |
| It is a time consuming process. | It takes very less time to appear. |
| Changes can be both; physical and in chemical composition. | Organisms show only physical changes. |
| Adaptation is a prat of an evolution process. It will lead to evolutionary change after several generations. | Acclimatization does not affect evolution of species. It is independent of evolution process. |
| Adaping with climate and habitat or developing adaptive trait is a gradual process. | This temporary adjustment is a rapid process. |
Changes that occur in Acclimatization
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Organisms are able to change several characteristics relating to their biochemical composition and morphology in order to maintain performance in novel environments. For example, birds are shown to increase their organ size to increase their metabolism. Some of these compensatory processes are immediate and others are a little delayed.
Changes in the bone marrow
Anoxia causes proliferation of the red bone marrow. The yellow bone marrow could also be transformed into the red bone marrow.
Read More: Bones
Changes in Respiration
Changes in pulmonary respiration have shown that the respiratory center becomes hypersensitive to PCO2 due to long-continued anoxia. It has further been observed that in chronic acclimatization in people residing at high altitude, the hypersensitiveness of the respiratory chemoreceptors are more marked than that in acute acclimatization.
This change may occur due to:
- Expansion and dilation of pulmonary capillaries.
- Increased blood volume.
- Increased lung volume.
- Elevated pulmonary arterial pressure.
- The apical part of the lungs which is normally under-perfused is adequately perfused during anoxic acclimatization.
Changes in Circulation
The right side of the heart hypertrophies so that blood can be effectively pumped through the expanded capillary bed of the lung. There occurs a temporary increase in cardiac output. Blood flow through the heart, brain, muscles and other organs is increased at the expense of blood flow through the skin and kidneys.The blood capillaries of animals exposed to anoxia for an extended time get dilated to accommodate the additional blood.
Changes in blood
In acclimatization the Haemoglobin content of the blood increases due to anoxia, the packed-cell volume (PCV) rises and also the blood volume increases often as much as 20 to 30 percent resulting in a total increase of circulating haemoglobin by 50 to 90%.
Cellular Acclimatization
Mitochondria and certain cellular oxidative enzyme systems increase in animals exposed to anoxia for an extended time. It is presumed that in human beings, intracellular enzyme systems develop in such a way that oxygen can be utilized more effectively.
Changes in Urine
Kidneys excrete alkaline urine. If urea content is more and ammonium salts are less. In other words, the ammonia coefficient falls. As a result, there is less excretion of acid in the urine. These are attempts to combat alkalosis resulting from hyperventilation.
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Acclimatization in Humans
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The salt content of sweat and urine decreases as people acclimatize to hot conditions. Plasma volume, pulse, and capillary activation are also affected.
High Altitude
Acclimatization to high altitude continues for months or maybe years after the initial ascent and ultimately enables humans to survive in an environment. Humans who migrate permanently to a higher altitude naturally acclimatize to their new environment by developing a rise in the number of red blood cells to extend the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, so as to catch up on lower levels of oxygen intake.
High Altitude
Deep Diving
Similarly, deep-sea divers, when ascending from a certain depth, also have to acclimatize. This form of acclimatization during deep-sea diving includes a process called decompression, wherein the dissolved inert gases are eliminated from the diver’s body by pausing at several stops at the time of ascent to the water’s surface.
- The issue arises when the diver starts descending – that results in an increase in hydrostatic pressure and ambient pressure.
- Furthermore, the breathing gas which is used with the dive is supplied at ambient pressure.
- The gases begin to dissolve in the diver’s body, and on depressurization, the dissolved gases form bubbles inside the body
- If it occurs at high frequency, it may lead to debilitating pain.
- In severe cases, it can even cause coma or death.
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Things to Remember
- Acclimatization is a rapid process of adjustment with an environment for survival.
- In response to changes in temperature, organisms can change the biochemistry of cell membranes.
- In response to certain stressors, some organisms express heat shock proteins that reduce denaturation of protein by guiding the folding and refolding..
- All acclimation serves to reinforce the performance of the organism.
- The degree to which organisms are ready to acclimate is dictated by the power of an organism to change certain traits.
- Adaptation is different in terms of time required and lastivity of the changes developed.
- Adaptation is permanent and long term changes that occurs as a part of evolution.
- Acclimatization is a rapid and temporary changes that does not affect evolution.
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Sample Questions
Ques. Can acclimatization be passed to a person’s offspring? (1 mark)
Ans. Acclimatization occurs when an animal tries to reestablish a homeostatic set point. Acclimatization is passed on to the offspring of acclimated individuals.
Ques. Give an example of acclimatization. (2 marks)
Ans. One of the best-known examples of acclimatization in humans is often observed when traveling from sea-level locations to high altitudes. The body acclimates and adapts accordingly to the new environment.
Ques. What is cold acclimatization? (2 marks)
Ans. Cold acclimation is the process resulting in the event of freezing tolerance in plants. It is a complex multigenic process that needs a programmed and integrated genetic capacity to activate the appropriate mechanisms needed to face up harsh winter conditions.
Ques. What heat illnesses result from lack of acclimatization? (2 marks)
Ans. Heat syncope includes orthostatic symptoms or fainting occurring in a person who has not undergone heat acclimatization and who is exposed to a high environmental temperature. It results because not enough salt and water have been retained and is more common in those with heart conditions and people taking diuretics.
Ques. How long does heat acclimatization take? (2 marks)
Ans. Heat acclimation is a broad term that can be loosely defined as a complex series of changes or adaptations that occur in response to heat stress in a controlled environment over the course of seven to fourteen days.
Ques. What is the difference between homeostasis and acclimatization? (2 marks)
Ans. Homeostasis keeps our body in balance during temporary environmental changes, but larger environmental changes require a process called acclimatization. Acclimatization is the response of a body over weeks, months, or a lifetime to long-term threats to homeostasis.
Ques. What is the importance of acclimatization in plant breeding? (3 marks)
Ans. Acclimatization is vital in plant breeding because:
- It provides new crop varieties, which are high-yielding and may be used directly.
- It provides new plant species.
- Provides parent materials for genetic improvement of economic crops.
Ques. Can differences in acclimatization ability be an example of evolutionary adaptation? (3 marks)
Ans. Acclimatization in warm-blooded animals consists of changes in temperature required, e.g., changes in the density of the coat hair or the thickness of the subcutaneous adipose insulating layer or alterations in physiological heat production. Warm-blooded animals answer altered climatic temperature by changing egg-laying frequency, by shifting their critical survival temperature, and by adjusting the temperature range in which they are normally and optimally active.
Ques. What are the changes that may take place in acclimatization? (4 marks)
Ans. The changes that may occur in acclimatization are:
Changes in the bone marrow: Anoxia innduces proliferation of the red bone marrow and the yellow bone marrow could also be transformed into the red bone marrow.
Changes in Respiration: Changes in pulmonary ventilation have shown that the respiratory center becomes hypersensitive to PCO2 due to chronic anoxia.Chronic acclimatization, for example, in people living at high altitude, the hypersensitiveness of the respiratory chemoreceptors are more marked than that in acute acclimatization.
Changes in circulation: The right side of the heart hypertrophies for pumping a blood through the expanded capillary of the lung. Temporary increase in cardiac output will appear as a result of it. Blood flow through the heart, brain, muscles and other organs is increased at the expense of blood flow through the skin and kidneys. The blood capillaries exposed to anoxia for long time get dilated to accommodate the additional blood which is brought in more intimate contact with the tissues.
Changes in blood: In acclimatization, the hemoglobin of the blood increases due to anoxia. The bllod volume increases often as much as 20 to 30 percent that cause total increase of circulating haemoglobin by 50 to 90%.
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