U2L3 Energy Flow

Front

What is biological magnification?

Back

Biological magnification is the process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in organisms at each successive trophic level of a food chain.

Front

Which organisms are at the highest trophic level in a food chain?

Back

Organisms of a high trophic level, such as predators, are at the top of the food chain and accumulate the most toxins.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers (plants) and is typically herbivorous, such as a grasshopper.

Front

Define autotrophs.

Back

Autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants.

Front

What are heterotrophs?

Back

Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must consume other organisms for energy.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

Front

What percentage of energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

Back

Typically, only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they are usually carnivorous or omnivorous.

Front

How much energy does a secondary consumer receive if a producer creates 42,728 units of energy?

Back

A secondary consumer would receive approximately 427 units of energy.

Front

What role do producers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers, like plants, convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.