Adaptation of Living Organisms to Environmental Change Physiologically: Mechanisms of Integration, Molecular Processes, and Ecology
Department of Biology, College of Education for Pure Science, University of Kirkuk-Iraq.
Review
International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive, 2026, 11(02), 023-030.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijbpsa.2026.11.2.0038
Publication history:
Received on 26 February 2026; revised on 14 April 2026; accepted on 17 April 2026
Abstract:
The environmental changes (slow or rapid) put some selective pressure in living organisms and require the establishment of dynamic physiological changes that will establish homeostasis and survival. Physiological adaptation is a multi-level process that incorporates molecular signaling systems, cellular responses, system, and organism plasticity. This is a review that summarizes existing information on physiological mechanisms of adaptation to stressors across taxa, and includes molecular mechanisms including stress protein induction, hormonal regulation, epigenetic regulation, and metabolic reprogramming. We also analyze adaptation to temperature changes, hypoxia, salinity stress, drought and anthropogenic disturbances. A combination of ecological, molecular, and evolutionary views, this article highlights the significance of the physiological plasticity in determining species resilience in the face of an escalating global environmental change.
Keywords:
Physiological adaptation; Environmental stress; Homeostasis; Phenotypic plasticity; Stress response; Climate change
Full text article in PDF:
Copyright information:
Copyright © 2026 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0