Adaptation vs. Acclimatization

Adaptation and acclimatization are two distinct processes by which organisms respond to changes in the environment.

Adaptation

Short term: This adaptation lasts for generations.

Genetic: It involves changes in the genetic makeup of a population.

Hereditary: The adaptations are passed on to the next generation.

Reversible: The changes are more or less permanent.

Examples: Polar bears' thick fur, cacti's spines, and the camouflage of chameleons.

Acclimatization

Short-term: It takes place in the lifetime of a single individual.

Physiological: It deals with changes in physiology of an organism.

Reversible: The alterations are temporary and reversible when the condition of the environment is altered.

Non-heritable: The alterations are not transferred to the progeny.

Examples: Humans' adaptation towards high altitude, plants adaptation towards changes in light intensity, and animals adaptation toward changes in temperature.

In principle, adaptation is a genetic change over generations, while acclimatization is a physiological adjustment within an individual's lifetime.

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