Biomagnification

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Biomagnification Noun

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[by-oh-mag-nif-i-kay-shun]

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Biomagnification

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The increasing concentration of toxins in organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain as they are consumed.

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Example: This diagram shows how a pollutant becomes more concentrated as it moves up a food chain, from mayflies to fish to humans.

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ppm (parts per million) Noun

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[parts per mil-yun]

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ppm (parts per million)

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A unit of measurement for the concentration of a substance, representing one part per million parts of the whole.

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Example: This image shows the mathematical formula used to calculate parts per million (ppm), which is a measure of the concentration of a substance.

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Toxin Noun

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[tok-sin]

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Toxin

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A poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism.

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Example: This diagram shows a snake's venom gland, which produces a natural toxin (venom), and the fangs used to inject it into another organism.

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Concentration Noun

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[kon-sen-tray-shun]

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Concentration

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The measure of the amount of a dissolved substance contained per unit of volume or mass in a solution.

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Example: This image compares a dilute solution (little salt in water) to a concentrated one (a lot of salt in water), defining concentration.

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Food Chain Noun

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[food chayn]

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Food Chain

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A hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food and transferred energy.

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Example: This diagram shows how energy moves through a food chain, from the grass (producer) to the owl (apex predator), providing a model for biomagnification.

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Trophic Level Noun

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[troh-fik lev-ul]

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Trophic Level

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The position an organism occupies in a food web, representing its step in the energy transfer process.

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Example: This food chain shows different trophic levels, from the producer (grass) to the final consumer (hawk), illustrating how energy moves through an ecosystem.

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Producer Noun

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[pro-doo-ser]

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Producer

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An organism, like a plant, that creates its own food through photosynthesis, forming the first trophic level.

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Example: This diagram shows how a producer, like a plant, performs photosynthesis—using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create its own food (glucose).

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Primary Consumer Noun

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[pry-mair-ee kon-soo-mer]

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Primary Consumer

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An organism that feeds on producers; an herbivore that occupies the second trophic level in a food chain.

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Example: This diagram shows a rabbit is a primary consumer because it eats the producer (grass) for energy, placing it at the second trophic level.

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Secondary Consumer Noun

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[sek-un-dair-ee kon-soo-mer]

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Secondary Consumer

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An organism that feeds on primary consumers, occupying the third trophic level in a food chain.

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Example: This image shows an owl, a secondary consumer, because it eats the mouse, a primary consumer that eats the wheat, a primary producer.

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Tertiary Consumer Noun

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[ter-shee-air-ee kon-soo-mer]

Back

Tertiary Consumer

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An organism that feeds on secondary consumers, occupying the fourth trophic level or higher in a food chain.

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Example: This diagram shows a food chain where the hawk is the tertiary consumer, eating the secondary consumer (treecreeper) at the top of the chain.