Food chains and energy pyramids are fascinating ways to understand... Show more
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Subjects

2
0
Katie Whitson
11/29/2025
Biology
Food Chains and Energy Pyramid BrainPOP
36
•
Nov 29, 2025
•
Food chains and energy pyramids are fascinating ways to understand... Show more











This activity explores how organisms are connected through feeding relationships in ecosystems. You'll discover how energy moves through living systems and why protecting these relationships is crucial for maintaining healthy environments.
Did you know? What you eat for lunch today connects you to a complex web of relationships that extends all the way to the sun's energy!

A food chain shows how living things are linked together by what they eat. For example, in a lake ecosystem, plankton are eaten by small shrimp, which are eaten by fish, then by bigger fish, and finally by bears.
If one animal in the food chain disappears, it can cause serious problems. The animals that depend on it for food might go extinct because they've lost their food source.
Food chains aren't usually simple straight lines in nature. Instead, they connect and overlap to form food webs, which show the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem.

Food webs contain many connecting and overlapping food chains. They show the complete picture of "who eats what" in an ecosystem.
Humans should protect food webs because disrupting them can cause animals to go extinct and damage entire ecosystems. When one species disappears, it can trigger a chain reaction affecting many other species.
Think of a food web like a complex spider web - pull one strand, and the whole thing can unravel!

Producers are mostly plants that make their own food through photosynthesis. They form the foundation of food chains and are the largest part of any food web.
Consumers eat other organisms because they can't make their own food from sunlight. They include:
Remember this! Everything starts with producers capturing energy from the sun - without them, the entire food chain would collapse!

Decomposition happens in stages: first autolysis , then putrefaction (bacteria breaking down proteins), and finally, scavengers consuming the remains. This process recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Phytoplankton are super important! They produce a whopping 70-80% of Earth's oxygen—more than all land plants combined.
Ecosystem balance is delicate. In Yellowstone, when wolves disappeared, elk overgrazed aspen and willow trees. When wolves were reintroduced, the balance returned.
Bioaccumulation occurs when chemicals build up in animals' bodies, starting at the lowest level of the food chain and becoming more concentrated as they move up.

Testing your knowledge with review games helps cement your understanding of food chains and ecosystems.
The perfect score shown here demonstrates mastery of the food chain concepts we've covered so far!
Getting a high score means you're ready to take on more complex topics like energy pyramids, which we'll explore next.

An energy pyramid is a model that shows how energy spreads through an ecosystem. It's shaped like a pyramid because energy decreases as you move up from one level to the next.
The most energy is found at the bottom level with the producers (plants and other organisms that make their own food). This makes sense because they capture energy directly from the sun!
As you go up the pyramid, each level has about 10 times less energy than the level below it. This explains why there are usually more plants than plant-eaters, and more plant-eaters than meat-eaters in an ecosystem.
Energy fact: When you eat a vegetable, you get much more of the original sun energy than when you eat meat from an animal that ate plants!

In energy pyramids, only about 10% of the energy from one level transfers to the next level up. This is why pyramids get narrower at the top – there's much less energy available.
This energy loss happens because animals use most of their energy for daily activities like moving, staying warm, and basic body functions. Only a small portion becomes body tissue that can feed the next level.
Understanding these trophic (feeding) levels helps explain why there are more herbivores than carnivores in most ecosystems – there simply isn't enough energy to support many top predators!

This energy pyramid shows exactly how energy decreases as it moves up the levels. Starting with 5,200 kilocalories at the producer level (shrubs), only 10% (520 kcal) reaches rabbits at the primary consumer level.
The energy continues to decrease by 90% at each level: secondary consumers (snakes) get 52 kcal, tertiary consumers (hawks) get 5.2 kcal, and quaternary consumers (honey badgers) receive just 0.52 kcal – only 0.01% of the original energy!
This dramatic energy loss explains why food chains rarely have more than 4-5 levels. There simply isn't enough energy left to support another level of consumers.

The cascade effect happens when one organism's removal triggers multiple extinctions throughout an ecosystem. For instance, when otters disappeared, sea urchins multiplied and destroyed kelp forests, harming many marine species.
Invasive species are unwelcome organisms that can devastate ecosystems. Examples include kudzu vine and zebra mussels, which outcompete native species and disrupt natural balances.
Apex predators sit at the top of food chains. The Komodo dragon is an impressive example - a venomous lizard that grows up to 10 feet long, weighs over 150 pounds, and rules its island ecosystem.
Think about it: What might happen in your local ecosystem if an invasive species arrived or if a key predator disappeared?
Our AI companion is specifically built for the needs of students. Based on the millions of content pieces we have on the platform we can provide truly meaningful and relevant answers to students. But its not only about answers, the companion is even more about guiding students through their daily learning challenges, with personalised study plans, quizzes or content pieces in the chat and 100% personalisation based on the students skills and developments.
You can download the app in the Google Play Store and in the Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
App Store
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
Thomas R
iOS user
Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades
Brad T
Android user
Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
Thomas R
iOS user
Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades
Brad T
Android user
Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user
Food chains and energy pyramids are fascinating ways to understand how living things interact through what they eat. These systems show us how energy flows through ecosystems and why every creature plays an important role in maintaining nature's balance.

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
This activity explores how organisms are connected through feeding relationships in ecosystems. You'll discover how energy moves through living systems and why protecting these relationships is crucial for maintaining healthy environments.
Did you know? What you eat for lunch today connects you to a complex web of relationships that extends all the way to the sun's energy!

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
A food chain shows how living things are linked together by what they eat. For example, in a lake ecosystem, plankton are eaten by small shrimp, which are eaten by fish, then by bigger fish, and finally by bears.
If one animal in the food chain disappears, it can cause serious problems. The animals that depend on it for food might go extinct because they've lost their food source.
Food chains aren't usually simple straight lines in nature. Instead, they connect and overlap to form food webs, which show the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem.

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Food webs contain many connecting and overlapping food chains. They show the complete picture of "who eats what" in an ecosystem.
Humans should protect food webs because disrupting them can cause animals to go extinct and damage entire ecosystems. When one species disappears, it can trigger a chain reaction affecting many other species.
Think of a food web like a complex spider web - pull one strand, and the whole thing can unravel!

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Producers are mostly plants that make their own food through photosynthesis. They form the foundation of food chains and are the largest part of any food web.
Consumers eat other organisms because they can't make their own food from sunlight. They include:
Remember this! Everything starts with producers capturing energy from the sun - without them, the entire food chain would collapse!

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Decomposition happens in stages: first autolysis , then putrefaction (bacteria breaking down proteins), and finally, scavengers consuming the remains. This process recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Phytoplankton are super important! They produce a whopping 70-80% of Earth's oxygen—more than all land plants combined.
Ecosystem balance is delicate. In Yellowstone, when wolves disappeared, elk overgrazed aspen and willow trees. When wolves were reintroduced, the balance returned.
Bioaccumulation occurs when chemicals build up in animals' bodies, starting at the lowest level of the food chain and becoming more concentrated as they move up.

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Testing your knowledge with review games helps cement your understanding of food chains and ecosystems.
The perfect score shown here demonstrates mastery of the food chain concepts we've covered so far!
Getting a high score means you're ready to take on more complex topics like energy pyramids, which we'll explore next.

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
An energy pyramid is a model that shows how energy spreads through an ecosystem. It's shaped like a pyramid because energy decreases as you move up from one level to the next.
The most energy is found at the bottom level with the producers (plants and other organisms that make their own food). This makes sense because they capture energy directly from the sun!
As you go up the pyramid, each level has about 10 times less energy than the level below it. This explains why there are usually more plants than plant-eaters, and more plant-eaters than meat-eaters in an ecosystem.
Energy fact: When you eat a vegetable, you get much more of the original sun energy than when you eat meat from an animal that ate plants!

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
In energy pyramids, only about 10% of the energy from one level transfers to the next level up. This is why pyramids get narrower at the top – there's much less energy available.
This energy loss happens because animals use most of their energy for daily activities like moving, staying warm, and basic body functions. Only a small portion becomes body tissue that can feed the next level.
Understanding these trophic (feeding) levels helps explain why there are more herbivores than carnivores in most ecosystems – there simply isn't enough energy to support many top predators!

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
This energy pyramid shows exactly how energy decreases as it moves up the levels. Starting with 5,200 kilocalories at the producer level (shrubs), only 10% (520 kcal) reaches rabbits at the primary consumer level.
The energy continues to decrease by 90% at each level: secondary consumers (snakes) get 52 kcal, tertiary consumers (hawks) get 5.2 kcal, and quaternary consumers (honey badgers) receive just 0.52 kcal – only 0.01% of the original energy!
This dramatic energy loss explains why food chains rarely have more than 4-5 levels. There simply isn't enough energy left to support another level of consumers.

Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
The cascade effect happens when one organism's removal triggers multiple extinctions throughout an ecosystem. For instance, when otters disappeared, sea urchins multiplied and destroyed kelp forests, harming many marine species.
Invasive species are unwelcome organisms that can devastate ecosystems. Examples include kudzu vine and zebra mussels, which outcompete native species and disrupt natural balances.
Apex predators sit at the top of food chains. The Komodo dragon is an impressive example - a venomous lizard that grows up to 10 feet long, weighs over 150 pounds, and rules its island ecosystem.
Think about it: What might happen in your local ecosystem if an invasive species arrived or if a key predator disappeared?
Our AI companion is specifically built for the needs of students. Based on the millions of content pieces we have on the platform we can provide truly meaningful and relevant answers to students. But its not only about answers, the companion is even more about guiding students through their daily learning challenges, with personalised study plans, quizzes or content pieces in the chat and 100% personalisation based on the students skills and developments.
You can download the app in the Google Play Store and in the Apple App Store.
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
2
Smart Tools NEW
Transform this note into: ✓ 50+ Practice Questions ✓ Interactive Flashcards ✓ Full Mock Exam ✓ Essay Outlines
Biology
Notes about the fungi kindgdom.
primary productivity
Describes what it is and how we use it in everyday life.
This is about the general principles of microscopy and the different methods of staining.
An overview of microscopy, staining, and classification
App Store
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
Thomas R
iOS user
Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades
Brad T
Android user
Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
Thomas R
iOS user
Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades
Brad T
Android user
Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user