What is a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten?

• A. Keystone predator
• B. Food chain
• C. Energy pyramid
• D. Trophic level

Answer: (B)

Energy moves through ecosystems as organisms eat and are eaten. A food chain describes a series of steps where energy is transferred from one organism to the next through feeding, usually starting with producers that capture energy from the sun, followed by herbivores, then predators, and finally decomposers. This simple line of transfer captures how energy flows from one trophic level to another in a linear sequence, though real ecosystems are more interconnected and are better represented by food webs.

Other concepts describe different aspects: a keystone predator is about the impact a single species has on the ecosystem, not the sequence of energy transfer; an energy pyramid shows how energy decreases at higher levels rather than the actual feeding steps; a trophic level is a position in the sequence (like producer or consumer) rather than the whole chain itself.