Adaptive behavior
As adaptive ( lat. adaptare, adjust ) is called in biology and cybernetics, the ability of organisms and self-regulating systems to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
The term is usually used as a close adaptation and often refers to the adaptability of the sense organs on the strength of the stimuli - particularly of the eye and the ear. The adaptation of the eye to changing light conditions is carried out by the pupil size and the transition between day and night vision.
Adaptive reactions, there is next to organs even in cells. Thus, the nuclear medicine explores known as low-dose radon stimulates the body's protective mechanisms against the formation of free radicals. Even weak ionizing radiation is said to have a protective effect against cancer, the TD Luckey ( hormesis analyzes of plants and lower animals ) explained by adaptive response of the cell to stress.
Lymphocytes and other cell types are against genetic damage when they receive at extremely low " adaptive doses " of genotoxic substances less sensitive later a higher dose of similar substances.
It has long been known that not only the respiratory system but also the tissue metabolism can adjust to appreciable oxygen deficiency ( Hypoxydose ). Also, fever is not just a by-product of increased metabolic rate, but an adaptive response, which also show some lizards. In warm-blooded animals, the body temperature of the thermostat is turned up to facilitate the destruction of pathogenic germs.
In pain therapy, the adaptive response of nociceptors and conclusions on the so-called pain memory is explored. Even the presumed Periodontology adaptive mechanisms in the loosening of teeth, where the change in position of the tooth avoids trauma and he later solidifies again.
On fruit trees adaptive reactions of the forked branches point to the burden of the fruits, apple and plum trees were tested 3-5 years.
In bacteria occur in stress-induced mutations, when lactose is the only available food source. The increased mutation rate is attributed to the activation of cellular DNA repair systems that are very active under normal conditions.
But how far it in higher organisms, an intergenerational adaptation to a changing environment are ( " evolutionary adaptation " ), is still largely unknown.
The psychology describes as an adaptive response, inter alia, the adaptation of behavior to environmental changes. When learning behavior as it is interpreted as a form of self-organization.
In psychiatric hospitals, some patients develop customized, but psychotic behavior patterns in order to undermine conflict with the prison staff. Experience by certain correspondence in the perception of institutional life and his own, although degraded identity.
After the motivation theory of Clark L. Hull, the organism has been the birth of a number of adaptive mechanisms, but most are acquired through learning: it strengthens that response that reduces a direct biological need, by recurrence. Also drive stimuli are suspected, not motivational function, but of great importance for the survival of the organism would have; them learn the organism to associate adaptive behavior.