Bioaccumulation

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Bioaccumulation (pronounced: /ˌbaɪoʊəˌkjuːməˈleɪʃən/) is a term used in Ecotoxicology to describe the increase in concentration of a substance in an organism over time, compared to the substance's concentration in the environment. Compounds accumulate in living things any time they are taken up and stored faster than they are broken down (metabolized) or excreted.

Etymology

The term "Bioaccumulation" comes from the prefix "bio-", meaning "life" in Greek, and the Latin word "accumulare", which means "to heap up".

Related Terms

  • Biomagnification: This is a related process that refers to the increase in concentration of a substance in a food chain, not an individual organism.
  • Biotransformation: The chemical alteration of chemicals such as nutrients, amino acids, toxins, and drugs in the body.
  • Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): These are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation and thus, bioaccumulate in organisms.

See Also

References

External links

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