Final answer:
An organism with temperature-sensitive lethal alleles survives at low temperatures because its proteins may become dysfunctional only at high temperatures, maintaining a proper function at cooler temperatures. Adaptations like hibernation or torpor help survive temperature extremes, and some cells can enter a suspended animation state to withstand harsh conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
An organism that inherited one or more temperature-sensitive lethal alleles can survive at low temperatures because the protein product of the gene may not fold correctly only at higher temperatures. At lower temperatures, the proteins maintain their functional conformation, allowing the organism to survive. Many organisms have adaptations, such as hibernation or torpor, to endure extreme temperatures by temporarily lowering metabolic rates to match the environmental conditions, thereby reducing the chances of damaging essential enzymes.
For example, certain Arctic foxes and rabbits have coloration that changes with temperature due to the way their pigment proteins fold, providing a selective advantage in different seasons. This is a form of adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Similarly, extremophiles like certain Archaea bacteria can survive in very high temperatures, illustrating the broad range of adaptations organisms have evolved to cope with temperature extremes.
The ability of some organisms' cells to enter a state of suspended animation during extreme conditions is another adaptation. This state involves physical changes at the cellular level that protect the cell from damage, such as alterations in membrane and protein structures or desiccation tolerance.