Suppose a producer takes in 5,000 units of energy. A primary consumer eats the producer. A secondary consumer eats the primary consumer. The secondary consumer retains 50 units of energy. What most likely happened to the rest of the energy?(1 point)

Question

Responses

A. The produce and the primary consumer each released some energy and retained some energy, leaving 50 units for the secondary consumer to take in.

B. The primary consumer took in 5,000 units of energy and released 4,950 units, leaving 50 units for the secondary consumer to take in.

C. The secondary consumer took in 5,000 units of energy and released 4,995 units, leaving 5 units.

D. The producer released 4,950 units of the energy, leaving 50 units for the primary consumer to take in.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

A. The producer and the primary consumer each released some energy and retained some energy, leaving 50 units for the secondary consumer to take in.

This option best explains that both the producer and the primary consumer would have lost some energy through metabolic processes, leaving the secondary consumer with the 50 units they retained. The concept of energy loss at each trophic level due to metabolism aligns with the principles of ecological energy transfer.