AP Environmental Science Flashcards: Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: July 2026
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Distinguish between bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Bioaccumulation is the buildup of a substance in a single organism, while biomagnification is the increasing concentration of that substance in organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
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Distinguish between bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Bioaccumulation is the buildup of a substance in a single organism, while biomagnification is the increasing concentration of that substance in organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
How does biomagnification affect human health?
Humans can experience harmful effects from biomagnification, including issues with the reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems.
An osprey eats many fish, each containing a low level of a persistent pesticide. The osprey develops a very high level of that pesticide. What process does this illustrate?
This illustrates biomagnification, where the concentration of the pesticide increases as it moves up to a higher trophic level (the osprey).
Besides eggshell thinning, what is another potential effect of biomagnification on top carnivores?
Developmental deformities are another effect that can occur in top carnivores as a result of biomagnification of persistent substances.
What is bioaccumulation?
Bioaccumulation is the selective absorption and concentration of elements or compounds, most commonly fat-soluble ones, by cells in a living organism.
What is biomagnification?
Biomagnification is the increase in the concentration of substances per unit of body tissue that occurs in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or food web.
Which types of compounds are most commonly involved in bioaccumulation?
Fat-soluble compounds are the most common substances involved in bioaccumulation because they are stored in an organism's fatty tissues.
What is a major effect of biomagnification on top carnivores, such as birds of prey?
A significant effect of biomagnified persistent substances in top carnivores is eggshell thinning, which can harm reproductive success.
If a single fish absorbs a fat-soluble toxin from the water over its lifetime, which process is this an example of?
This is an example of bioaccumulation, as the toxin is being absorbed and concentrated within a single organism.
Name two human body systems that can be harmed by the effects of biomagnification.
The reproductive and nervous systems are two human systems that can be negatively impacted by biomagnification.
How does biomagnification relate to trophic levels?
Biomagnification causes the concentration of a substance to increase as it moves up through successively higher trophic levels in a food chain.