09 Bioaccumulation

Question 1

what are toxins?

Answer 1

Toxins are defined as substance that causedamage to biological systems by chemicalmeans.

Question 2

how can toxins be produces

Answer 2

Toxins can also be produced by livingorganisms, but the more harmful toxins areproduced by humans.

Question 3

what are examples of toxins in the avg household

Answer 3

◦ Drain Cleaner◦ Gasoline◦ Battery Acid

Question 4

what are biodegradable substances

Answer 4

Biodegradable substances are naturally broken downin the environment.

Question 5

what are some examples of biodegradable substances?

Answer 5

eg sewage (feces and urine),dead organisms.

Question 6

what are non-biodegradable substances

Answer 6

Non-biodegradable substances are broken down veryslowly or not broken down at all by naturalprocesses, once they enter the ecosystem they donot leave.

Question 7

what are some examples of non-biodegradable substances?

Answer 7

plastics, pesticides

Question 8

some non-biodegradable substances are ______

Answer 8

toxins

Question 9

what is bioaccumulation?

Answer 9

Accumulation of a substance within an organismat a single trophic level.

Question 10

_______ are absorbed by organisms through _______________ in regards to bioaccumulation

Answer 10

Pesticides and other poisonous substances areabsorbed by organisms through air, water, andfood.

Question 11

when does bioaccumulation occur

Answer 11

Bioaccumulation occurs when the toxic substanceis absorbed by the organism faster than it is lost.

Question 12

in bioaccumulation over time ________

Answer 12

the pollutant accumulates

Question 13

what is an example of bioaccumulation

Answer 13

Grass absorbingpesticides over time.

Question 14

bioaccumulation regarding fish:

Answer 14

For example, mercury can bioaccumulate infish:◦ Over time, since the fish absorb mercury faster thanthey expel it, harmful levels of mercury in the fishare reached:

Question 15

what does bioaccumulation damage

Answer 15

whole species and ecosystems

Question 16

each species plays a ______ role in an _______

Answer 16

role, ecosystem

Question 17

what are keystone species. What Is 1 example

Answer 17

species thathas a large impact on anecosystem. eg fish

Question 18

If the numbers of a species (like fish) decline due tobioaccumulation, what happens

Answer 18

the species that it consumes (likealgae or shrimp) will thrive while the species thatconsume it (like otters) will starve.

Question 19

what is biomagnification

Answer 19

theincrease of pollutantconcentrationthroughout thewhole food chain.

Question 20

what is biomagnification also known as

Answer 20

bioamplification.

Question 21

how does biomagnification work

Answer 21

} Only 10% of energy is passedfrom one trophic level toanother.} This means a species has toeat a large amount of thespecies below it to survive.} The species receives all of thepollutants contained in all ofthe organisms it consumed.The pollutant is thereforemore concentrated in thebodies of that species.

Question 22

Explain everything regarding DDT

Answer 22

Pesticide used in the 1900s.◦ Banned in 1972.◦ Seemingly harmless at first.◦ Effects began showing up in high trophic levelsbecause of biomagnification.◦ DDT has been linked to many conditions inhumans, such as diabetes.

Question 23

how is biomagnification dangerous in regards to food chains

Answer 23

◦ If the primary consumers are heavily damaged by a pollutant,the secondary consumers will receive it even worse.◦ Even if a pollutant only damages higher trophic levels, thiswill create an imbalance in the ecosystem, and could damageit severely.

Question 24

how is biomagnification dangerous in regards to humans

Answer 24

Because pollutants increase in concentration, humans receivethem at their most dangerous level.

Question 25

3 key problems regarding mercury

Answer 25

1) Mercury is a persistent toxic substance, it can build up, orbioaccumulate, in living organisms; this can further effectanimals such as predatory fish, fish eating birds andmammals through the process of biomagnification.2)Mercury can be converted to methyl mercury (highly toxic)mainly in lakes, waterways and wetlands. Methyl mercurycan cross the blood-brain and placental barriers that canlead to a wide range of symptoms in organisms.3) If water plants and small organisms take up the mercuryas food, it then moves through the food chain whenanimals eat each other.