Food Chain, Food Web, & Energy Pyramid

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, starting from producers to various levels of consumers.

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What are producers in a food chain?

Back

Producers are organisms, typically plants, that create their own food through photosynthesis and form the base of the food chain.

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What are primary consumers?

Back

Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers (plants) in a food chain.

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What are secondary consumers?

Back

Secondary consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers; they can be carnivores or omnivores.

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What are tertiary consumers?

Back

Tertiary consumers are predators that eat secondary consumers and are often at the top of the food chain.

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What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that shows how energy and nutrients circulate in an ecosystem.

Front

What is an energy pyramid?

Back

An energy pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the flow of energy at different trophic levels in an ecosystem, with the most energy at the base.

Front

Why do producers have the most energy in an energy pyramid?

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Producers have the most energy because they convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis, which is then passed on to consumers.

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What role do decomposers play in a food chain?

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Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the nutrient cycle.

Front

How does energy flow through a food chain?

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Energy flows from producers to consumers, with each level receiving less energy than the one before due to energy loss through metabolic processes.