How does energy flow along a food chain?

Energy flow along a food chain occurs via feeding relationships, illustrating how energy from the sun is transferred through various organisms as one consumes another. In a typical food chain, plants, as primary producers, capture solar energy and convert it into chemical energy through photosynthesis. Herbivores, or primary consumers, then feed on these plants, acquiring the energy stored in them. Subsequently, carnivores, or secondary consumers, feed on herbivores, continuing the transfer of energy up the food chain.

This transfer is central to the structure of ecosystems, where each level depends on the energy captured by the level below it. The feeding relationships create a network that sustains life and along which energy flows, showing the interconnectedness of species in an ecosystem.