What term refers to the accumulation of non-biodegradable or slowly biodegradable chemicals in an organism's body?

The term that pertains to the accumulation of non-biodegradable or slowly biodegradable chemicals in an organism's body is bioaccumulation. This process occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than it can eliminate it, leading to a gradual buildup of the chemical over time. This is particularly concerning with substances like heavy metals or certain pesticides, which can remain in the environment for extended periods.

Bioaccumulation is crucial in ecological studies since it can have significant effects on an organism’s health and can lead to toxic concentrations that may impact the food web. For example, when a small fish ingests contaminated water or food, the chemicals may accumulate in its tissues. As larger predators consume these smaller fish, the concentration of the harmful substances can increase further in the predators due to bioaccumulation, affecting their health, reproduction, and survival.

Other terms like biomagnification, biodegradation, and biopharming refer to different concepts. Biomagnification is the process where the concentration of a substance increases in the tissues of organisms at each successive level of a food chain, while biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms into simpler substances. Biopharming involves using genetically modified crops or organisms to produce pharmaceutical substances and is unrelated to