Question

Increase in concentration of the toxicant at successive trophic levels is known as:

• A. Biotransformation
• B. Biomagnification
• C. Biogeochemical cycling
• D. Biodeterioration

Answer 1

The correct option is B

Biomagnification

The correct option is B.

Explanation of correct option:

1. Biomagnification is the increase in the concentration of a substance such as a toxic chemical in the tissues of organisms at higher levels in a food chain.
2. The substances become concentrated in the internal organs and tissues of the organisms as they move up the chain.
3. This happens through a series of prey-predator relationships.

Explanation of incorrect options:

Option A:

1. Biotransformation is defined as the alteration of a substance, such as a drug, within the body.
2. It is a biochemical modification.

Option C:

1. Biogeochemical recycling is the pathway by which a chemical substance cycles the biotic and abiotic compartments of Earth.
2. The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into various chemical forms and circles among the land and atmosphere.

Option D:

1. Biodegradation involves the breakdown of organic substances by microorganisms.
2. It is a natural process.

Final answer: Increase in concentration of the toxicant at successive trophic levels is known as biomagnification.