Educational worksheet exploring biological magnification in ecosystems, featuring questions on pollution, food chains, and environmental impact.
A worksheet titled "What is Biological Magnification?" with questions about the concept, including multiple-choice and short-answer items related to environmental science and pollution.
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Step-by-step solution for: Biological Magnification and Its Affects on Top Predators
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Biological Magnification and Its Affects on Top Predators
Here is the solution to the "What is Biological Magnification?" worksheet, with explanations for each answer.
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A. Finding Information: Scan the article to answer specific questions.
1. What does PPM mean?
* Answer: Parts per million
* Explanation: The text explicitly states: "The amount of mercury is measured in ppm, which means 'parts per million.'"
2. What chemical caused the decline of the eagle population?
* Answer: DDT
* Explanation: The passage says: "In the 1960s, scientists discovered that a chemical called DDT was causing eagles to lay eggs with thin shells." It also mentions that DDT was used to control mosquitoes and other pests, but its accumulation led to the decline in eagle populations.
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B. Locating evidence and supporting statements. These things are not specifically said.
3. Based on the claims made in the passage, biological magnification is a result of:
* Answer: c) bioaccumulation
* Explanation: The passage defines biological magnification as "the process where toxic substances move up the food chain and become more concentrated at each level." Bioaccumulation is the process by which organisms absorb and retain toxins from their environment or diet over time. Biological magnification is essentially the *result* of bioaccumulation happening at successively higher trophic levels in a food chain. While the word "bioaccumulation" isn't used in the passage, it's the underlying mechanism described.
4. What saved the eagle population? (a) captive breeding (b) banning DDT (c) habitat change
* Answer: b) banning DDT
* Explanation: The passage states: "When DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, the eagle population began to recover." This directly links the recovery to the ban on DDT.
5. What type of animals are most affected by biological magnification?
* Answer: d) top predators
* Explanation: The passage explains that toxins become "more concentrated at each level" of the food chain. Since top predators (like eagles) eat organisms from lower levels that have already accumulated toxins, they end up with the highest concentrations. The example given is eagles eating fish that ate smaller fish that ate plankton – the toxin concentration increases at each step, peaking at the eagle.
6. What is the author’s purpose or point in this writing?
* Answer: a) to explain the process of biological magnification
* Explanation: The entire article is structured to define biological magnification, provide a real-world example (DDT and eagles), and explain how it works through the food chain. The title itself asks "What is Biological Magnification?" indicating the primary goal is explanation.
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C. Using Context Clues. Are there words in the passage that you don’t understand? Good readers learn to use clues to guess at the meanings of unfamiliar words.
7. What is plankton?
* Answer: c) tiny animals
* Explanation: The context clue is: "Plankton are small creatures that float in water." While plankton can include microscopic plants (phytoplankton), the passage refers to them as "creatures," implying animals (zooplankton). In the context of the food chain described (plankton -> small fish -> larger fish -> eagles), it's referring to the zooplankton that are eaten by small fish.
8. What does amplify mean?
* Answer: a) to add to or increase
* Explanation: The passage says: "Toxic substances are often difficult to break down... As they move up the food chain, they become more concentrated... This is known as biological magnification." The word "amplify" is used in the heading "Biological Magnification" and implies making something larger or stronger. In this context, it means the concentration of toxins *increases* as you go up the food chain.
9. What does accumulate mean?
* Answer: b) to build up
* Explanation: The passage states: "Toxic substances... tend to accumulate in the bodies of organisms." The context shows that these substances don't leave the body easily; they stay and *build up* over time within an organism, especially as it eats contaminated prey.
10. What does tainted mean?
* Answer: d) contaminated
* Explanation: The passage says: "The amount of mercury in the tuna sample was 1.7 ppm, which means the fish was tainted with mercury." "Tainted" here clearly means the fish has been *contaminated* or polluted with mercury.
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✔ All answers are based directly on the text provided in the image.
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A. Finding Information: Scan the article to answer specific questions.
1. What does PPM mean?
* Answer: Parts per million
* Explanation: The text explicitly states: "The amount of mercury is measured in ppm, which means 'parts per million.'"
2. What chemical caused the decline of the eagle population?
* Answer: DDT
* Explanation: The passage says: "In the 1960s, scientists discovered that a chemical called DDT was causing eagles to lay eggs with thin shells." It also mentions that DDT was used to control mosquitoes and other pests, but its accumulation led to the decline in eagle populations.
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B. Locating evidence and supporting statements. These things are not specifically said.
3. Based on the claims made in the passage, biological magnification is a result of:
* Answer: c) bioaccumulation
* Explanation: The passage defines biological magnification as "the process where toxic substances move up the food chain and become more concentrated at each level." Bioaccumulation is the process by which organisms absorb and retain toxins from their environment or diet over time. Biological magnification is essentially the *result* of bioaccumulation happening at successively higher trophic levels in a food chain. While the word "bioaccumulation" isn't used in the passage, it's the underlying mechanism described.
4. What saved the eagle population? (a) captive breeding (b) banning DDT (c) habitat change
* Answer: b) banning DDT
* Explanation: The passage states: "When DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, the eagle population began to recover." This directly links the recovery to the ban on DDT.
5. What type of animals are most affected by biological magnification?
* Answer: d) top predators
* Explanation: The passage explains that toxins become "more concentrated at each level" of the food chain. Since top predators (like eagles) eat organisms from lower levels that have already accumulated toxins, they end up with the highest concentrations. The example given is eagles eating fish that ate smaller fish that ate plankton – the toxin concentration increases at each step, peaking at the eagle.
6. What is the author’s purpose or point in this writing?
* Answer: a) to explain the process of biological magnification
* Explanation: The entire article is structured to define biological magnification, provide a real-world example (DDT and eagles), and explain how it works through the food chain. The title itself asks "What is Biological Magnification?" indicating the primary goal is explanation.
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C. Using Context Clues. Are there words in the passage that you don’t understand? Good readers learn to use clues to guess at the meanings of unfamiliar words.
7. What is plankton?
* Answer: c) tiny animals
* Explanation: The context clue is: "Plankton are small creatures that float in water." While plankton can include microscopic plants (phytoplankton), the passage refers to them as "creatures," implying animals (zooplankton). In the context of the food chain described (plankton -> small fish -> larger fish -> eagles), it's referring to the zooplankton that are eaten by small fish.
8. What does amplify mean?
* Answer: a) to add to or increase
* Explanation: The passage says: "Toxic substances are often difficult to break down... As they move up the food chain, they become more concentrated... This is known as biological magnification." The word "amplify" is used in the heading "Biological Magnification" and implies making something larger or stronger. In this context, it means the concentration of toxins *increases* as you go up the food chain.
9. What does accumulate mean?
* Answer: b) to build up
* Explanation: The passage states: "Toxic substances... tend to accumulate in the bodies of organisms." The context shows that these substances don't leave the body easily; they stay and *build up* over time within an organism, especially as it eats contaminated prey.
10. What does tainted mean?
* Answer: d) contaminated
* Explanation: The passage says: "The amount of mercury in the tuna sample was 1.7 ppm, which means the fish was tainted with mercury." "Tainted" here clearly means the fish has been *contaminated* or polluted with mercury.
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✔ All answers are based directly on the text provided in the image.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of biomagnification worksheet.
