NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Biomagnification happens when toxic chemicals, like DDT, whose remains in the environment are consumed indirectly by organisms through food. When an organism in the higher food chain consumes the lower organism containing such chemicals, the chemicals can get accumulated in the higher organism.

Detailed explanation-2: -When an animal consumes food having DDT residue, the DDT accumulates in the tissue of the animal by a process called bioaccumulation. The higher an animal is on the food chain (e.g. tertiary consumer such as seals), the greater the concentration of DDT in their body as a result of a process called biomagnification.

Detailed explanation-3: -The term bioaccumulation is short for biological accumulation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost or eliminated by catabolism and excretion.

Detailed explanation-5: -Pesticides present in the environment leads to their entry in the biosystem which accumulates in the organisms. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of pesticides has led to lethal and sublethal effects in animals and human.