2007-05-30 14:50:24 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
Single-celled organisms are extremely well adapted to their environments. Most live in water where the environment changes slowly. They are fast breeders so they can evolve when there is a change. Think of bacteria. How quickly they evolve when compared with humans.
2007-05-30 14:55:03 · answer #1 · answered by Away in the West 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The biological meaning of successful is to survive and reproduce. Single-celled organisms are successful because they are able to take care of all their survival needs within themselves. They either make their own food or get food from other organisms. Some move around. They have their own genetic material and can pass that material on to their offspring. They can maintain their own homeostasis to keep the balance between the inside of the cell and the environment. They carry on all the life functions that multicellular organisms carry on, but they just do that with parts of the single cell.
2007-05-30 23:07:04 · answer #2 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The question should not be how, rather why are they successful. Unicellularity has been around since the advent of life and has never become obsolete. Success in an evolutionary sense is the ability to pass on your genes and unicellular critters (everyone I can think of but esp bacteria) can reproduce rapidly (often without the requirement of a mate)
2007-05-30 21:55:55 · answer #3 · answered by Mr Pink 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋