Question

Biomagnification is a phenomenon in ecosystems. Which statement(s) accurately describe biomagnification? a) Producers do not take in toxins in this food chain. b) The primary consumer has double the toxin level compared to the producer in this food chain. c) The secondary consumer has the highest concentration of toxins in this food chain. d) A tertiary consumer was introduced in this food chain example, and the toxin level would be less than that of the secondary.

Answer 1

Biomagnification refers to the increase of toxin concentration at each trophic level in a food chain, meaning toxins accumulate more in higher level consumers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phenomenon of biomagnification in ecosystems refers to the increasing concentration of persistent, toxic substances in organisms at each successive trophic level.

Answering your statements: a) Producers do take in toxins, but at lower levels than consumers further up in the food chain. b) The primary consumer likely has more of the toxin than the producer. c) The secondary consumer would typically have more toxins than the primary consumer, but not necessarily the highest concentration in the chain. d) The tertiary consumer, being further up the food chain, would typically have a higher concentration of toxins compared to the secondary consumer. This is because these toxic substances, such as the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are fat soluble and stored in the fat reserves of each organism. As organisms are consumed by those at the next trophic level, the concentration of the toxins increases.

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