What is meant by biological magnification? With the help of a food chain, explain how biological magnification of harmful chemicals can occur.
What is meant by biological magnification? With the help of a food chain, explain how biological magnification of harmful chemicals can occur.
The increase in concentration of harmful chemical substances like pesticides in the body of living organisms at each trophic level of a food chain is called biological magnification. The organism which occurs at the highest trophic level (on the extreme right side) in the food chain will have the maximum concentration of harmful concentration of harmful chemicals in its body. In this case grass is eaten by grasshopper; grasshopper is eaten by frog; frog is eaten by snake and finally snake is eaten by peacock.
So, the food chain will be:
Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Peacock
Since the peacock occurs at the highest trophic level (on the extreme right side) in this food chain, it will have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in its body.
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