AP Environmental Science Practice Quiz: Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 15 questions to check your progress.
Question 1 of 15
All Questions (15)
A) The increase in substance concentration across successively higher trophic levels.
B) The selective absorption and concentration of compounds by cells in a single living organism.
C) The thinning of eggshells in top carnivores due to toxin exposure.
D) The transfer of energy from one organism to another in a food web.
Correct Answer: B
The provided text defines bioaccumulation as 'the selective absorption and concentration of elements or compounds by cells in a living organism'. Option A describes biomagnification.
A) a single organism over its lifespan.
B) the environment after a chemical spill.
C) successively higher trophic levels of a food chain.
D) the fat-soluble tissues of primary producers only.
Correct Answer: C
The content explicitly states that biomagnification is 'the increase in concentration of substances... that occurs in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or in a food web.'
A) Water-soluble compounds
B) Gaseous elements
C) Simple sugars
D) Fat-soluble compounds
Correct Answer: D
The text specifies that bioaccumulation is the concentration of compounds, 'most commonly fat-soluble compounds.'
A) Bioaccumulation only
B) Biomagnification
C) Reproductive system failure
D) Selective absorption
Correct Answer: B
This scenario describes the concentration of a substance increasing as it moves up the food chain (mice to snakes to hawk), which is the definition of biomagnification.
A) Issues with the circulatory system
B) Nervous system damage
C) Eggshell thinning
D) Increased metabolism
Correct Answer: C
The text states, 'Some effects that can occur when a persistent substance is biomagnified include eggshell thinning and developmental deformities in top carnivores.' Circulatory and nervous system issues were mentioned as effects on humans.
A) Nervous system
B) Reproductive system
C) Respiratory system
D) Circulatory system
Correct Answer: C
The provided content lists harmful effects in humans for the 'reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems.' The respiratory system is not mentioned.
A) Bioaccumulation involves fat-soluble compounds, while biomagnification involves water-soluble compounds.
B) Bioaccumulation occurs in a single organism, while biomagnification occurs across trophic levels.
C) Bioaccumulation affects animals, while biomagnification affects humans.
D) Bioaccumulation is harmful, while biomagnification is harmless.
Correct Answer: B
Bioaccumulation is the buildup of a substance within one organism's tissues. Biomagnification is the process where that concentration increases as the substance is passed up the food chain to higher trophic levels.
A) Bioaccumulation
B) Biomagnification
C) Selective absorption
D) Cellular respiration
Correct Answer: B
The text directly links developmental deformities in top carnivores to the effects that occur when a persistent substance is biomagnified.
A) Primary producers
B) Primary consumers (herbivores)
C) Secondary consumers (carnivores)
D) Tertiary consumers (top carnivores)
Correct Answer: D
Biomagnification is the increase in concentration at successively higher trophic levels. Therefore, tertiary consumers, being at the top of the food chain, would have the highest concentration.
A) Bioaccumulation
B) Cellular concentration
C) Biomagnification
D) Trophic absorption
Correct Answer: C
This is the direct definition of biomagnification provided in the text: 'the increase in concentration of substances per unit of body tissue that occurs in successively higher trophic levels'.
A) Biomagnification, because the toxin is persistent.
B) Bioaccumulation, because it occurs within a single organism over time.
C) A nervous system issue, because the toxin is harmful.
D) Neither process, because the initial concentration was low.
Correct Answer: B
The key to this question is that the process is described as occurring within a single fish ('a single living organism'). This is the definition of bioaccumulation, not biomagnification, which requires transfer between trophic levels.
A) They absorb these compounds directly through their skin more easily than other organisms.
B) Their reproductive systems are inherently weaker than those of organisms at lower trophic levels.
C) The process of biomagnification leads to the highest concentrations of these compounds in their body tissues.
D) They are the only organisms that experience bioaccumulation.
Correct Answer: C
The text explains that biomagnification causes concentrations to increase at higher trophic levels. As top carnivores are at the highest level, they accumulate the highest concentrations from all the organisms they consume, making them most susceptible to effects like eggshell thinning.
A) Endocrine system
B) Skeletal system
C) Circulatory system
D) Muscular system
Correct Answer: C
The text explicitly states that humans experience harmful effects from biomagnification, including issues with the 'reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems.'
A) Biomagnification
B) Bioaccumulation
C) Eggshell thinning
D) Trophic transfer
Correct Answer: B
The definition of bioaccumulation is 'the selective absorption and concentration of elements or compounds by cells in a living organism.' This question directly targets that definition at the cellular level.
A) Only top carnivores are affected by bioaccumulation.
B) Biomagnification can lead to health problems in humans.
C) Fat-soluble compounds decrease in concentration up the food chain.
D) Bioaccumulation and biomagnification are terms for the same process.
Correct Answer: B
The text directly states that 'Humans also experience harmful effects from biomagnification, including issues with the reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems.' The other options are contradicted by the text.