Energy transfer through a food chain occurs as energy moves from one trophic level to the next, starting with producers and flowing through various consumers. Producers, such as plants, capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis, converting it into chemical energy stored in their tissues. Primary consumers, like herbivores, then consume these producers, obtaining energy directly from them. As energy continues to transfer, secondary consumers, such as carnivores that eat herbivores, and tertiary consumers, which are predators of secondary consumers, receive energy at each level, though with decreasing efficiency. Overall, the food chain illustrates how energy is interdependent within an ecosystem, highlighting the important roles of producers and consumers in the flow of energy.
Directions: On your own, answer the following question in a complete paragraph, including 5 sentences. Below, the parts of a paragraph are described.
Question: How does energy transfer (move) through a food chain? Click to enlarge the image of the food chain to see an example. Include the following terms in your response.
energy
producer
consumer (primary, secondary, and tertiary)
Parts of a Paragraph
Topic sentence: tells the reader the main idea, or what the paragraph will be about
Supporting sentence 1: gives specific details relating to the main idea
Supporting sentence 2: gives another specific detail relating to the main idea
Supporting sentence 3: gives more specific details relating to the main idea
Concluding sentence: refers back to the topic sentence and sums up the main idea of the paragraph
1 answer