What is a Food Chain?

Film info

Film summary

How energy is passed through living things can be described as a food chain. Journey through a food chain, from primary producers at the bottom to tertiary consumers at the top.

Key facts

• A 'food chain' describes how energy derived from the Sun passes between living things.
• Producers are plants that harness the Sun's energy and convert it to sugars.
• Primary consumers, or herbivores, feed directly on the plants.
• Secondary consumers, or carnivores, feed on other animals.
• At different stages of the chain, some of the original energy is lost - this is often represented as pyramid of biomass.