Using 2 or more sentences, explain how a dilute toxin such as PCBS dissolved in a lake can reach high levels in the tissues of an apex consumer such as an eagle.
Using 2 or more sentences, explain how a dilute toxin such as PCBS dissolved in a lake can reach high levels in the tissues of an apex consumer such as an eagle.
Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
11th Edition
ISBN:9780134580999
Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1RQ: The correct sequence of levels forming the structural hierarchy is A. (a) organ, organ system,...
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Transcribed Image Text:**Date: November 14, 2021**
**Explanation of Toxin Accumulation in Apex Consumers**
Using two or more sentences, explain how a dilute toxin such as PCBs dissolved in a lake can reach high levels in the tissues of an apex consumer such as an eagle.
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### Explanation:
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) can accumulate in an ecosystem through a process called biomagnification. When small aquatic organisms, such as plankton, absorb PCBs from the water, they retain the toxin in their tissues. As these organisms are consumed by larger fish, the concentration of PCBs increases further up the food chain. Apex consumers like eagles consume these contaminated fish, resulting in even higher concentrations of PCBs in their bodies because they intake all the accumulated pollutants from multiple lower levels of the food chain.
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