• Organisms create adaptable situations around them on the basis of their needs, called as adaptation.
• Plants living in desert reduces leaves to spines, to stop transpirational loss of water (e.g., kalabanda), store water in the stem, called as succulent stems.
• Desert plants are called as xerophytes.
• Some desert plants show stone like swollen leaves to reduce water loss. E.g., pebble plants.
  
• Desert adaptations of animals- 

Hump - stores fat for later use
Long eye lash - protects from sand
Voluntarily closing nostrils -  protects from sand
Long legs - keeps body away from hot ground

• The side-winder adder snake crawl sideways to keep body cool.
• Animals swim through the sand to escape the heat. E.g., golden mole rat.
• Some animals show physiological changes to adapt with desert environment. E.g., kangaroo rat (synthesises water through digestion)