Food Chains

1. Food Chains A FOOD CHAIN is a series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy. A food chain shows one possible path along which energy can move through an ecosystem.

5. Transfer of Energy • The previous examples of energy transfer show that no organism EVER receives all of the energy from the organism they just ate. • Only 10% of the energy from one level is transferred to the next. • Energy moves from one organism to another when it is eaten.

6. Food Chains Food chains always start with a plant. The lettuce is eaten by the slug, the slug is eaten by the bird.

7. Food Chains A food chain shows which animals eat other animals or plants. Plants don’t eat things. Plants use energy from the sun to make food for themselves in a process called photosynthesis. A food chain starts with what gets eaten and the arrows point towards what does the eating. Food chains only go in ONE direction.

8. The top of the food chain. Some animals are said to be at the top of the food chain. This is because they are not hunted by other animals. No other animal hunts the lion. The lion is at the top of the food chain. Can you think why?

9. Activity Create a food chain using the directions and materials given.