Food Chain

Transfer of food energy from source (producer) to organisms consuming it (primary consumers) & further these organisms in turn are eaten up by organisms to which they are food source (secondary consumers) and so on, in a linear series.

Types of Food Chains:

Types of Food Chain
  • Grazing Food Chain:
    • Starts from living green plants (producers).
    • The producers are consumed by herbivores (primary consumers).
    • Further, herbivores are eaten up by carnivores (secondary consumers or primary carnivores) and so on.
Grazing Food Chain
  • Detritus Food Chain:
    • Starts from dead/non-living organic matter, which is being broken down by microbes.
    • The organic matter is the then consumed by detrivores (primary consumers).
    • Detrivores are further eaten up secondary consumers or primary carnivores & so on.
Detritus Food Chain

In real life, it is impossible to consider each food chain as an isolated unit. Different food chains are interconnected making a sort of web termed food web.

Food Web

A food web contains a series of interconnected food chains.

Food Web

Some other points to consider:

  1. In all ecosystems, grazing & detritus food chains interconnected.
  2. Assimilation of whole food consumed does not occur. Some undigested matter /faeces are diverted to detritus food chain.
  3. Both overgrazing & undergrazing are detrimental as decrease or increase in population of any trophic level will affect the dependent trophical levels.

Harjeet Kaur

Masters in Zoology (Panjab University, Chandigarh, IN)
Bachelor of Sciences - Medical (Punjabi University, Patiala, IN)
ICAR-JRF, GATE, PU CET-PG
Data Science Specialization (IIT Roorkee, IN)
Inclusive Leadership (Catalyst Inc. US)
Served as Assistant Professor (UG & PG Courses)

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