Food Chains and Energy Flow

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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?

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

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What is the role of primary consumers?

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Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers (plants) and are the second level in the food chain.

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What are secondary consumers?

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

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What are tertiary consumers?

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

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What is energy loss in a food chain?

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Energy loss in a food chain occurs at each trophic level due to metabolic processes, heat, and waste, resulting in less energy available for the next level.

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What is a decomposer?

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A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead organic material, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the cycle of matter in an ecosystem.

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What is an omnivore?

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An omnivore is an organism that eats both plants and animals for energy.

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What is a carnivore?

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A carnivore is an organism that primarily eats meat (other animals) for energy.

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What is a herbivore?

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A herbivore is an organism that primarily eats plants for energy.