Biomagnification/Bioaccumulation Quiz

Which organism in the food web would

contain the highest concentration of chemical pollutants?

• producers

• primary consumers

• secondary consumers

• tertiary consumers

Which organism in the food web shown to the right would

contain the lowest concentration of chemical pollutants?

• producers

• primary consumers

• secondary consumers

• tertiary consumers

Most health experts recommend only eating tuna a few times a week and only eating shark a few times a month. Why would health experts have this view of eating these fish?

Hint: think biomagnification

• Most fish are low in protein and high in saturated fats which can cause health problems

• People with diets high in fish tend to have high blood pressure and heart issues

• Eating these fish could result in the buildup of pollutants in the fat tissue of humans

Which organism in this diagram has the highest DDT concentration?

• Zooplanktons
• small fish
• large fish
• Fish-eating birds

The process when concentrations of a harmful substance increases in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web.

• Biomagnification
• Predation
• Extinction
• Accumulation

Consider the following food chain:

Algae > Mayfly > Minnow > Trout

In a polluted ecosystem, which organism would likely have the HIGHEST level of toxic chemicals in its body?

• Algae

• Mayfly

• Minnow

• Trout

What is bioaccumulation?

• buildup of toxins in an organism

• the total mass/amount of organisms in a given area

• the number of different species in an area

• the buildup of toxins at higher trophic levels

When pesticides or chemicals accumulate in the cells or tissues of an organism.

• Biomaginification

• Bioaccumulation

• Biomass

• Biodiversity

What is the difference between biomagnification and bioaccumulation?

• Biomagnification refers to an individual organism and bioaccumulation refers to organisms in a food chain

• Bioaccumulation refers to an individual organism and biomagnification refers to organisms in a food chain

• None of the these

a species that enter new ecosystems and multiply, harming native species and their habitats is called a(n) _______________

• Endemic species

• Keystone species

• Invasive species

• Threatened species