Food Chain & Energy Flow — Interactive Diagram
Follow energy as it flows from the Sun through plants and animals in a simple food chain.
TL;DR: Follow energy as it flows from the Sun through plants and animals in a simple food chain.
Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated
Food Chain & Energy Flow: Follow energy as it flows from the Sun through plants and animals in a simple food chain.
Why it matters: Producers, consumers and the one-way flow of energy explain ecosystems, food webs and why there are fewer animals at the top.
Food Chain & Energy Flow — Step by Step
- PRODUCERS: green plants (and grass) capture the Sun’s energy by photosynthesis and make their own food.
- PRIMARY CONSUMER: a herbivore like a grasshopper or deer eats the plants, gaining some of that energy.
- SECONDARY CONSUMER: a carnivore like a frog or bird eats the herbivore. Energy flows ONE way and lessens at each step.
Quick Notes — the Exam Crux
- A food chain shows who eats whom and how energy is passed along.
- Producers (green plants) make food by photosynthesis — the start of every chain.
- Consumers: herbivores (primary) → carnivores (secondary, tertiary).
- Decomposers (bacteria, fungi) break down dead matter and recycle nutrients.
- Energy flows in ONE direction (Sun → producers → consumers) and is lost as heat at each step.
- Only about 10% of energy transfers to the next level (the 10% law), so higher levels have fewer organisms.
Remember It (Memory Trick)
Producer → Herbivore → Carnivore → Top carnivore. Energy flows ONE way and only about 10% passes to the next level (the "10% law"), so top predators are few.
Real-Life Example
Grass → grasshopper → frog → snake → hawk in an Indian field: each step passes on only a fraction of the energy, which is why there are far fewer hawks than blades of grass.
Test Yourself
Where does the energy in a food chain originally come from?
The Sun, captured by producers through photosynthesis.
Roughly how much energy passes from one trophic level to the next?
About 10% (the 10% law); the rest is lost mainly as heat.
What is the role of decomposers?
They break down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients to the soil.
📖 Read the full explanation of Food Chain & Energy Flow →
More Visual Lessons
- Photosynthesis
- The Human Heart & Blood Flow
- The Digestive System
- The Respiratory System
- Plant Cell vs Animal Cell
- Reflex Action
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