Food Chain

A food chain is a series of organisms, each dependent on the next as a source of food. It represents the flow of energy and nutrients through different organisms in an ecosystem.

Key Concepts

• Producer: Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis, such as plants.
• Primary Consumer: Organisms that consume producers, also known as herbivores.
• Secondary Consumer: Organisms that consume primary consumers, also known as carnivores.
• Tertiary Consumer: Organisms that consume secondary consumers, and so on.

Example Food Chain

A simple food chain in a grassland ecosystem:

Grass (Producer) → Grasshopper (Primary Consumer) → Frog (Secondary Consumer) → Snake (Tertiary Consumer)

Study Guide Questions

1. What is a food chain and what does it represent?
2. Identify the different levels in a food chain and give examples of organisms at each level.
3. Explain the flow of energy in a food chain.
4. Describe the role of decomposers in a food chain.
5. Discuss the impact of disruptions in a food chain on 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