EDUCATION (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Biomagnification refers to the tendency of pollutants to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next.

Detailed explanation-2: -Biomagnification, also known as bioamplification or biological magnification, is the increase in concentration of a substance, e.g a pesticide, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.

Detailed explanation-3: -Biomagnification occurs when slightly larger organisms called zooplankton feed upon the contaminated phytoplankton and in turn absorb POPs into their own tissues at a higher concentration. The more contaminated phytoplankton a zooplankton eats, the more pollutants it will have in its body.

Detailed explanation-4: -Biomagnification takes place as chemicals transfer from lower trophic levels to higher trophic levels within a food web, resulting in a higher concentration in apex predators.

Detailed explanation-5: -One example of biomagnification is the accumulation of insecticide DDT which gets accumulated in zooplanktons. Small fishes consume these zooplanktons. Small fishes are consumed by large fish which are finally consumed by fish-eating bird present at the highest position in tropic level.