What is a food chain?

A food chain is a model which shows how energy flows from one living thing to another. A food chain shows how living things depend on other living things for food. Most living things cannot make their own food. They have to get their food from other living things. Look at the example of a food chain below.

grass   →   grasshopper   →   lizard   →   cat

This food chain starts with grass. The grass is eaten by a grasshopper which is then eaten by a lizard. Finally, the lizard is eaten by a cat. These events can happen right in your backyard. Note that in a food chain, the arrow points away from the living thing that is being eaten and towards the living thing that is eating it. In a nearby river or pond, a food chain might look like the one below:

algae   →   shrimp   →   fish   →heron

This food chain starts with algae which is then eaten by a shrimp. The shrimp is eaten by a fish. The fish is then eaten by a heron.  

There are many different types of food chains that exist in the world. In the sea, one food chain might look like this:

seagrass   →   turtle   →   shark

Can you explain what is happening in the food chain above?

It is important to note that most food chains start with plants. This is because plants can make their own food.

Look at the picture below. Zebras can be found in some parts of Africa. They eat grass. Lions sometimes kill and eat zebras.

We can show this in a simple way with the food chain below:

grass    →   zebra   →   lion

Activity: Make up your own food chain with animals that are found in your community. Your food chain should start with a plant and should have at least three animals. Make sure that your arrows are pointing the right way.