How does a chemical bioaccumulate in an organism?

Answer 1

Bioaccumlation: the accumlation or amount of polluants in living things.

It is where one animal, such as a mouse, consumes a substance, lets say a pesticide such as DDT, and then is eaten by another animal, lets say an eagle. If the mouse has been infected with DDT, and then is eaten, the eagle will be infected with the toxins as well.

Example:

A mouse eats crops sprayed with DDT. An eagle then eats the infected mouse. The eagle is infected with the toxins. The eagle's system is then damaged and its eggs shells will become softer and the chick inside will either die, or be born without being properly developed.

A more simple example might be a bird flying over a factory and getting some acid. Then, a bigger bird eats that bird, then a different animal eats that bird, and eventully, the acid is collected and brings viruses or/and death.

Answer 2

umSorry, not very sure why it's a problem, but I do know that DDT stands for it, type in "what is DDT?" into the wiki answers ask, and you'll get it

=D Same person again, found its definition: organism's accumulation of harmful substance: the *accumulation* of a harmful substance such as a radioactive element, a heavy metal, or an organochlorine in an organism, especially an organism that forms part of the food chain *Accumulation* is the process of gathering: the process of gathering together and increasing in amount over a period of time; collection of things: a number of things that have collected or been collected over a period of time

Answer 3

Most often a chemical will bioaccumulate in an organism because of lipid/fat solubility. These agents are usually rather lipophyllic and so gravity to fatty regions such as membranes where they are deposited and remain.

Answer 4

it takes oxygen away people