What does an adaptation in an organism primarily enhance?

An adaptation in an organism primarily enhances survival. Adaptations are traits that have evolved over time to better suit an organism to its environment, increasing its chances of surviving and thriving in specific conditions. This can include physiological changes, such as the ability to retain water in desert-dwelling plants, or behavioral changes, such as migratory patterns in birds. By improving survival, these adaptations ultimately contribute to the organism's ability to reproduce and pass on those advantageous traits to the next generation.

While reproduction is important and often related to survival, the direct relationship between adaptations and survival makes it clear that the primary purpose of an adaptation is to help an organism cope with its environment, thereby enhancing its overall fitness. Growth and behavior can be influenced by adaptations, but they are not the central focus of what adaptations target in the context of evolutionary biology.