Question

explain the phenomenon of biological magnification? how does it effect organisms belonging to different tropic levels particularly the tertiary consumers

Answer 1

The process in which harmful chemicals enter a food chain and get accumulated progressively at each trophic level is called biological magnification.
Harmful and toxic chemicals enter our bodies when they are added to soil and water. Use of pesticides to protect the food crops from diseases and pests and chemical wastes of factories are dumped in open or disposed off into rivers. These chemicals are washed down into the soil and ultimately to water table or get absorbed or taken up from the soil by the plants along with water and minerals and in this way harmful chemicals enter the food chain. The quantity of these harmful chemicals increase with increase in trophic level of the food chain because these substances are not degradable. Man is at the top of the food chain, so concentration is maximum in human beings.
Thus, accumulation of DDT has been maximum in man as DDT is used to destroy pests. DDT is accumulated in the following way in this food chain:
This is the reason why our food grains such as wheat and rice, vegetables and fruits and even meat contain varying amounts of pesticides residues. So, the highest trophic level at the extreme right of food chain has the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in a food chain. Hope it helps you!!

Answer 2

biological magnification refers to involve of harmful organism or material to destroy the whole food chain...
it effects the tertiary consumer most because primary consumer only absorb it but tertiary digest all materials from production to last tropic level... that's why it cause more harmful to tertiary Consumer