What is the term for the series of organisms through which energy is transferred by eating and being eaten?

• A. Food web
• B. Energy pyramid
• C. Trophic cascade
• D. Food chain

Answer: (D)

Energy moves through ecosystems as organisms feed on one another, and the term for that single, linear sequence is a food chain. It starts with producers that capture energy from the sun, then follows who eats whom in order: primary consumers, secondary consumers, and so on. This shows the path energy takes as it’s passed along the chain, with energy gradually lost at each step.

In contrast, a food web is a network of many interconnected food chains, depicting multiple feeding relationships. An energy pyramid illustrates how much energy is present at each trophic level, and a trophic cascade describes indirect effects when a top predator influences levels lower down. The question specifically asks for the linear sequence of energy transfer through eating and being eaten, which is why food chain is the best fit.