📚 CBSE Grade-10 Study Guide
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Science (086) — AI-generated practice question

AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.

Q1. [3] deep thorough-understanding
A farmer sprays a non-degradable pesticide on a paddy field adjacent to a pond. Trace the pathway by which this pesticide could reach humans living in the nearby village. What is this phenomenon called, and why are humans more affected than the paddy plants?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 00:59 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Pathway: The pesticide sprayed on the paddy field is washed into the pond. Microscopic organisms (phytoplankton/zooplankton) absorb it → small fish eat these organisms → large fish eat small fish → humans in the village eat the fish, thus consuming the pesticide.

Phenomenon: This is called biological magnification (biomagnification) — the progressive increase in concentration of non-degradable substances at each successive trophic level.

Why humans are more affected: Paddy plants are at the first trophic level, so they accumulate the least amount of pesticide. Humans are at the highest trophic level; the pesticide concentration multiplies at each level, so humans receive the maximum accumulated dose.

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Explanation
Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.