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Food Chain

A food chain is a simple straight sequence that shows how food and energy pass from one organism to another.

In one line: Arrow goes from food to eater, so the chain always moves forward in feeding order.

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Understand it

In a food chain, energy starts from the Sun, reaches producers like green plants, and then moves to consumers such as herbivores and carnivores. The chain is linear, so each step depends on the previous one. The direction of the arrow shows the flow of food energy from the eaten organism to the eater.

Example

Grass is eaten by grasshopper, grasshopper is eaten by frog, frog is eaten by snake, and snake is eaten by eagle.

Rule to remember

Food chain rule: energy flows from producer to consumer, and the arrow points from food to eater.

See it worked out

Follow the example line by line, then use the same method on new questions.

Worked example

  1. 1If grass is removed from a chain, the grasshopper loses its food source.
  2. 2Then frogs get less food, and the number of higher consumers also falls.

Method you can reuse

  1. 1Start with a producer.
  2. 2Add the organism that eats it.
  3. 3Continue one step at a time.
  4. 4Check that every arrow shows energy flow correctly.

Sketch it in your answer

Draw a straight line of arrows such as grass → grasshopper → frog → snake → eagle.

Check yourself

Answer the question in your head before opening the answer.

Try it yourself

In a food chain, why does the arrow point from grass to grasshopper?

Think first, then show answer
The arrow points from grass to grasshopper because it shows the direction of energy flow. Grass is eaten by grasshopper, so the food energy moves from the plant to the consumer.

Common wrong answer

A common wrong answer is to draw arrows in the opposite direction.

Why it loses marks: The arrow shows who is being eaten, not who is eating.

Don't mix this up

Students often reverse the arrows. They think the arrow points to the food, but it actually points toward the organism that eats it.

Exam tip

When writing a food chain, always start with the producer and keep the order of feeding clear.

Food Chain diagram

Open full screen to read every label clearly.

Write it in the exam

Each point is worth about one mark. Write point 1 for a 1-mark question and keep adding points as the marks go up.

How CBSE asks it

Complete a food chain, identify producer and consumers, or explain the effect of removing one link.
  1. 1

    Enough for 1 mark

    A food chain is a simple straight sequence that shows how food and energy pass from one organism to another.

  2. 2

    Add for 2 marks

    Example: Grass is eaten by grasshopper, grasshopper is eaten by frog, frog is eaten by snake, and snake is eaten by eagle.

  3. 3

    Add for 3 marks

    In a food chain, energy starts from the Sun, reaches producers like green plants, and then moves to consumers such as herbivores and carnivores.

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