Chapter 1 Living Things Need Energy
Lesson 2 Food Chains
Main Idea
Food chains describe the flow of matter and energy among living
things in an environment. A complete food chain includes producers,
consumers, and decomposers.
Vocabulary
Food chain (38) – energy passing from one organism to another as
food
Producer (38) – organisms that make or produce their own food
Consumer (38) – organisms that can not make their own food
Decomposer (39) – living things that break down organisms and
return the nutrients to the soil
Herbivore (40) – animals that mainly eat plants
Carnivore (42) – animals that mainly eat other animals
Omnivore (42) – animals that eat both plants and other animals
What is a food chain?
Main Idea
A food chain is made of producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Supporting Detail
A. A food chain shows how energy passes from one organism to
another as food.
1. The chain begins with organisms that produce their own food
(producers). The organism uses the sun’s energy to make its
own food.
2. The next link in the chain is the consumer of the producer. A
consumer is an organism that can not make its own food.
3. The next link is the consumer who eats another consumer.
4. The chain continues until tiny living things break down an
organism and returns the nutrients to the soil (decomposers).
5. The returned nutrients are used by plants and the chain begins
again.
B. With each step of the food chain, matter and energy passes from
one organism to another.
C. Organisms use most of the energy in food to live and grow. Only a
small amount of energy is passed from organism to organism.
What are herbivores?
Main Idea
Herbivores are consumers of plants.
Supporting Detail
A. Herbivores are animals that mainly eat plants.
B. Herbivores are primary consumers because they are the first
consumer in the chain.
C. Herbivores can be found in most environments. They live in every
environment that plants grow
D. Herbivores can be big or small
E. Herbivores can be food for other animals.
1. An animal that is hunted by another animal is prey
2. An animal that hunts another animal for food is a predator
3. Both predators and prey are consumers because they both must
eat food to survive.
What are carnivores and omnivores?
Main Idea
Carnivores are consumers or other animals. Omnivores are consumers
of plants and other animals.
Supporting Detail
A. Carnivores are animals that eat other animals.
B. Omnivores are animals that eat both plants and animals.
C. Carnivores and omnivores are secondary consumers.
What are decomposers?
Main Idea
Decomposers break down organisms that are no longer living.
Supporting Detail
A. Decomposers break down organisms that are no longer living.
B. They break down into nutrients that can be used again by new
plants.
C. There are many types of decomposers
1. Plant like organisms called fungi break down rotting wood and
other plant parts.
2. Earthworms eat plant life that has already died and pass along
the nutrients to the soil
3. Other decomposers break down what is left of dead animal.
4. Decomposers that consume dead matter are also consumers.
5. Decomposers work together to break down organisms
completely
What are some examples of food chains?
Main Idea
Every environment has its own food chains.