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A centipede might be the top predator in a leaf litter environment.

Biology - Energy in Food Chains (AQA)

Food chains show how energy flows from producers to top predators. In GCSE Biology you learn why most energy is lost between trophic levels.

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Fascinating Fact:

Pyramids of biomass narrow sharply at higher levels, showing big energy losses.

In GCSE Biology (AQA), you study how energy is transferred along food chains and food webs. You also learn how pyramids of biomass show the fall in available energy at each trophic level.

Key Terms

Food chain: A simple diagram that shows how energy passes from one organism to the next as one is eaten by another.
Trophic level: A step or position in a food chain, for example producer, primary consumer or secondary consumer.
Biomass: The total mass of living material in an organism or at a particular trophic level.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is a food chain in GCSE Biology?

In GCSE Biology, a food chain is a simple model that shows the feeding relationships between organisms and how energy is passed from producers through different consumers.

Why is energy lost at each stage in a food chain?

Energy is lost at each trophic level through respiration, heat, movement, growth, waste and undigested material, so only a small fraction is stored and passed on to the next level.

How is biomass measured in food chains?

Biomass is usually measured as dry mass. Samples of organisms are dried, weighed and scaled up to estimate the mass of living material at each trophic level.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

For every 200kJ a gazelle gets from eating, 125kJ are excreted and 65kJ are used in respiration so how much of the original energy would be passed on to a lion that caught and ate it?

10%

15%

20%

Most of the biomass that animals eat is either not digested, or used to provide the energy needed for staying alive. In this case, 190 kJ of the original 200kJ are lost meaning 10kJ remain in the gazelle which is 5%.

2 .

During photosynthesis, which of the following is the energy transfer?

Light to sound

Light to kinetic

Light to chemical

Light to heat

The Sun's energy is stored as chemicals in the plant so when we refer to the energy in a food chain we are talking about chemical energy. Chemical energy is transferred up the food chain as biomass

3 .

Students investigated a food chain in a garden. The students found 650 aphids feeding on one rose plant. Five ladybirds were feeding on the aphids. Which of the following statements about the biomass of the ladybirds is true?

The biomass of the ladybirds is greater than the biomass of the aphids

The biomass of the ladybirds is less than the biomass of the rose plant

The biomass of the ladybirds is more than the biomass of the rose plant

The biomass of the ladybirds is the same as the biomass of the aphids

The higher up the food chain you get, the lower the biomass - so the biomass of the ladybirds must be lower than the biomass of the aphids and the rose

4 .

How much of the Sun's energy produces biomass in plants?

All of it

Most of it

Some of it

Very little of it

Plants and algae only use a very small amount of the sunlight landing on them to create and store biomass

5 .

What is the source of energy for most food chains?

The Moon

The Sun

Chlorophyll

Chromosomes

The sun is the ultimate source of energy for most life on Earth. Plants and algaue use it for photosynthesis and this gets passed on up the food chain. There are some food chains in the deepest parts of the ocean where the energy comes from biochemical reactions instead of sunlight

6 .

In one year, the Sun supplies 4 x 10⁶kJ to a particular habitat, 15kJ reaches the top predator. What percentage of the Sun's energy is transferred to the predator? Try working it out rather than trying to guess.

0.0375%

0.00375%

0.000375%

0.00000375%

Divide the amount of energy reaching the predator by the total energy from the Sun and then multiply by 100 for the percentage

7 .

In a food chain what is meant by the word producer?

An animal that produces a lot of waste material

A plant or animal that makes energy

A plant or algae

An insect

Plants and algae are called producers because they produce their own food which is the energy resource for the entire food chain

8 .

In a food chain, what does the arrow represent?

The environment

A change in biomass

An increase in numbers of animals

The flow of energy

Each level of the food chain is called a trophic level. The arrows show how energy is passed from one trophic level to the next

9 .

Students measured the biomass of a community living in leaf litter under the trees in the school conservation area. They found woodlice feeding on the leaves, ground beetles feeding on the woodlice and centipedes feeding on the beetles. Each student weighed the leaves in their sample and the other organisms and put their results together with the rest of the class. Which of the following could represent the class results in order of the food chain starting from the leaves?

25g, 35g, 38g, 40g

1kg, 550g, 38g, 750g

482g, 98g, 67g, 80g

800g, 45g, 3g, 0.0005g

This question tests whether or not you recognise the pattern that the biomass is less at each level

10 .

Other than light, what else is required for photosynthesis?

Water and oxygen

Water and carbon dioxide

Water, oxygen and chlorophyll

Water, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is contained in the plant's chloroplasts. Carbon dioxide enters the plant's leaves through the stomata. Water is transported from the roots to the leaves by the xylem tubes

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Bioenergetics

Author: Kev Woodward (PGCE, Science & Chemistry Teacher, Quiz Writer)