Which term describes a sequence of organisms in which each member is eaten by the next member?

• A. Weir
• B. Dam
• C. Levee
• D. Food chain

Answer: (D)

Energy transfer in ecosystems occurs through a feeding sequence in which each organism is eaten by the next. This linear path of who eats whom is called a food chain. It starts with a producer, like a plant, that captures energy from the sun, followed by herbivores that eat the plants, then carnivores or omnivores that eat those consumers, and so on. The food chain shows how energy moves from one level to the next, though real ecosystems are more connected and are described by food webs rather than a single chain.

The other options aren’t related to living organisms and feeding relationships. Weirs, dams, and levees are structures used to control water flow and protect against flooding, not sequences of organisms in an ecosystem.