Trophic Transfer ↔️ Higher trophic levels accumulate toxins
Why do organisms accumulate toxic substances in their tissues during bioaccumulation?
Faster absorption than excretion
Absorption Rate > Excretion Rate</latex> illustrates that the absorption rate of toxic substances is greater than the excretion rate.
Each trophic level in a food chain shows decreasing concentrations of toxins in biomagnification.
False
What is dietary uptake in bioaccumulation?
Consuming contaminated food
Concentration_{\top predators} > Concentration_{prey} > Concentration_{producers}</latex> illustrates that biomagnification leads to higher toxin concentrations in top predators
Match the biomagnification mechanism with its example:
Trophic Transfer ↔️ Mercury accumulation in fish
High Accumulation ↔️ Top predators accumulating pesticides
Food Chain Dynamics ↔️ PCB concentrations in seals
Mercury is a common pollutant that bioaccumulates in aquatic organisms.
Which pollutant biomagnifies in food chains and affects birds and marine mammals?
DDT
Bioaccumulation is the process by which organisms absorb toxic substances at a faster rate than they can excrete
In bioaccumulation, the absorption rate is greater than the excretion rate.
Which toxic substance can accumulate in fish, posing a risk to humans?
Mercury
Biomagnification is the process where the concentration of toxic substances increases at each higher trophic level in a food chain
Top predators in a food chain have the highest concentrations of toxins due to biomagnification.
What is the direct uptake mechanism of bioaccumulation?
Absorption from the environment
Trophic transfer is another term for biomagnification.
The primary mechanism of biomagnification is trophic transfer
What are the impacts of mercury (Hg) on ecosystems?
Toxic to nervous system
Match the pollutant with its primary impact:
Mercury (Hg) ↔️ Toxic to nervous system
DDT ↔️ Disrupts endocrine systems
PCBs ↔️ Carcinogenic effects
Order the following impacts of bioaccumulation and biomagnification on ecosystems:
1️⃣ Wildlife Health Issues
2️⃣ Food Chain Disruption
3️⃣ Human Health Risks
4️⃣ Biodiversity Loss
What is an example of wildlife health issues caused by bioaccumulation or biomagnification?
DDT affecting eagles
Mercury contamination in fish is a case study of bioaccumulation
The concentration of toxins decreases at each higher trophic level in a food chain.
False
What is biomagnification?
Increase of toxins in food chains
Trophic levels in a food chain show decreasing concentrations of toxins.
False
Toxic substances in biomagnification are often difficult to excrete
Which organisms have the highest concentrations of toxins in biomagnification?
Top predators
What are two examples of biomagnification?
Mercury in fish, DDT in birds
Primary pathways of bioaccumulation
1️⃣ Direct Uptake
2️⃣ Dietary Uptake
3️⃣ Trophic Transfer
How do organisms accumulate chemicals through direct uptake?
From their environment
Dietary uptake involves consuming contaminated food sources, such as herbivores eating plants contaminated with pesticides