Food Chain

It is the sequence of living organisms in which one organism consumes another organism for energy. It is unidirectional (single directional).

• In a food chain, various steps where transfer of energy takes place is called a trophic level.
• The green plants capture 1% of sun’s energy.
• The flow of energy is unidirectional in a food chain.
• There is gradual decrease in the amount of energy from one trophic level to next trophic level in a food chain.

10 Percent Law

• The energy available at each successive trophic level is 10% of the previous level’s only 10% of Energy is transferred to next trophic level while 90%of energy is used by present trophic level in its life processes.
• The concentration of harmful chemical increases with every next trophic level in a food chain. It is called Bio-magnification
• Maximum concentration of such chemicals get accumulated in human bodies. Since humans occupy the top level in any food chain.