How do toxins accumulate in a food chain?

Bioaccumulation occurs when toxins build up – or accumulate – in a food chain. At each trophic level of the food chain, the toxins remain in the tissues of the animals – so the concentration of toxin becomes most concentrated in the body tissues of the animals at the top of the food chain.

What happens when you remove top predators?

The most obvious result of the removal of the top predators in an ecosystem is a population explosion in the prey species. More predators kill more prey, which, along with food scarcity, decreases the population. When prey becomes more scarce, the predator population declines until prey is again more abundant.

How do toxins spread?

Bioaccumulation of marine toxins Bioaccumulation is the process by which compounds accumulate or build up in an organism at a rate faster than they can be broken down. In many cases, toxins can be transported through the food web to humans, often through contaminated shellfish.

Why are those at the top of a food chain affected if a species at the bottom of the food chain consumes a toxin?

In many cases, animals near the top of the food chain are most affected because of a process called biomagnification. This is biomagnification, and it means that higher-level predators-fish, birds, and marine mammals-build up greater and more dangerous amounts of toxic materials than animals lower on the food chain.

Why do toxins become concentrated as biomass passes through a food chain?

The toxins build up in their tissues because they are absorbed from the water at a rate faster than they can be metabolized. Biomagnification occurs when slightly larger organisms called zooplankton feed upon the contaminated phytoplankton and in turn absorb POPs into their own tissues at a higher concentration.

What would happen if one population of predator suddenly increases?

Predation and Population As the prey population increases, there is more food for predators. So, after a slight lag, the predator population increases as well. As the number of predators increases, more prey are captured. As a result, the prey population starts to decrease.

Why do top predators need large territories?

Top predators, such as the Cheetah, need a large territory in which to hunt, or else they will kill all their prey animals and starve. Thus, the large predators die out unless they have territory enough to hunt as well as access to the territory of suitable mates.

Why are top level predators important to ecosystem health?

Predators are an important part of a healthy ecosystem. Predators remove vulnerable prey, such as the old, injured, sick, or very young, leaving more food for the survival and success of healthy prey animals. Also, by controlling the size of prey populations, predators help slow down the spread of disease.

What causes toxins in the body?

Diet, hormone imbalances, sedentary lifestyle, certain medications and genetics can all contribute to fluid retention and congestion in the body. These can all stagnate the lymphatic system.

How are toxins formed in the body?

Where do toxins come from and how do they manifest? John states that these toxins or residues can arise from three sources – environmental, cellular waste products and from bacteria in our digestive tract.