Food Chain

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another. It starts with a primary producer, usually a plant, and ends with a top predator.

Key Terms:

• Producer: Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis (e.g., plants).
• Consumer: Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
• Herbivore: Consumers that eat only plants.
• Carnivore: Consumers that eat only other animals.
• Omnivore: Consumers that eat both plants and animals.
• Decomposer: Organisms that break down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients to the soil.

Examples of Food Chains:

1. Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk

2. Algae → Zooplankton → Small Fish → Squid → Shark

Study Tips:

1. Understand the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a food chain.
2. Learn the difference between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
3. Practice creating your own food chains using different organisms.
4. Explore how disruptions in a food chain can impact an ecosystem.

[Food Chain] Related Worksheets and Study Guides:

• Food ChainsScience • First Grade
• Ecosystems, food chains and food websScience • Seventh Grade
• Food webs/food chainsScience • Fourth Grade