Final answer:
The statement is false; adaptation is a long-term genetic change in organisms for survival, while acclimation is a short-term adjustment to environmental changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is false that the terms adaptation and acclimation can always be used interchangeably. Adaptation refers to a heritable trait or behavior in an organism that aids in its survival in its present environment. In contrast, acclimation (often used interchangeably with acclimatization) is the process by which an individual organism adjusts to a gradual change in its environment, such as a change in temperature, humidity, photoperiod, or pH, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions. Acclimation is usually a short-term, reversible response to an environmental change, while adaptations are long-term evolutionary responses that are genetically fixed.
Examples of acclimatization include animals increasing their red blood cell count when migrating to higher altitudes to cope with lower oxygen levels or seasonal changes in animal coats to respond to different climates. These responses happen over a relatively short timescale compared to the long-term genetic changes that comprise adaptations.