n]
| biological accumulation. |
| the accumulation within living organisms of toxic substances occurring in the environment. |
bioaccumulation (bī'ō-ə-ky m'yə-lā'shən) Pronunciation Key
The accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in various tissues of a living organism. Bioaccumulation takes place within an organism when the rate of intake of a substance is greater than the rate of excretion or metabolic transformation of that substance. Compare biomagnification. |