Question

Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from the options of organisms of a food chain.

___________ will possibly have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in its body?

Peacock, Frog, Grass, Snake, Grasshopper

Answer 1

The chemicals consumed by the autotrophs multiply in concentration as the trophic levels go up. The phenomenon of increase in concentration of toxic substances with the increase in trophic level is known as biomagnification. Hence, the organism at the highest trophic level in a food chain will have the accumulation of such substances in maximum concentration.

Arranging the given organisms to form a food chain, we get:

Grass $\to$ Grasshopper $\to$ Frog $\to$ Snake $\to$ Peacock

Thus, in the given food chain, peacock forms the fifth trophic level and thus, will have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in its body.