Types of food-chains – Life on the Earth

Food chains are essentially a process of energy transfer. Cells, at the base of the chain, convert light into chemical energy.

During photosynthesis, plant cells produce glucose to use for energy and for the production of more complex compounds.

Herbivores eat autotrophs, while carnivores eat herbivores. The detrital food chain begins with dead organic matter.

Atoms in this matter are broken down by decomposers (such as bacteria or fungi) to form simple substances suitable for absorption by other organisms (Smith & Smith 2009).

Grazing food-chain, the first level starts with plants as producers and ends with carnivores as consumers at the last level, with the herbivores being at the intermediate level.

A detritus food-chain is based on autotrophs energy capture initiated by grazing animals and involves the decomposition or breaking down of organic wastes and dead matter derived from the grazing food-chain.

Types of Biomes- There are five major biomes — forest, desert, grassland, aquatic and altitudinal biomes