Q.What is Acclimatisation ?

Acclimatisation is a reversible, non-genetic physiological adaptation an organism develops over time in response to environmental change.

When an organism is exposed to a new or altered environmental condition -- for example, a person moving from sea level to a high-altitude region where oxygen availability (partial pressure of O2) is lower -- its body undergoes gradual physiological changes to cope with the new stress, rather than an instantaneous or genetic change. In the high-altitude example, the body responds over days to weeks by increasing red blood cell production (raising haemoglobin content), lowering the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen (to release oxygen to tissues more readily), and increasing breathing rate, so that the body can function normally under the lower-oxygen condition. This process, called acclimatisation, is a reversible physiological adjustment made by a single individual within its …