Grade 5, Science Olympiad (CBSE) - Food chain, food web 

Try free sample papers for Olympiads

Register individually for Unified Council Olympiads

Grade 5  |   Science  |   Food chain, food web, Living, non living things and Plants, Olympiad, CBSE, ICSE, Maths Olympiad, Science Olympiad, English Olympiad

Food chain and food web

Food chain

A series or sequence of links showing how nutrients and energy pass from one organism to another is called food chain. All food chains start from producers i.e. plants.

Plants are called producers as they make food with the help of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and nutrients from the soil.

Animals like deer, grain-eating birds, rats etc are called primary consumers as they primarily consume plants. Thus primary consumers are mostly herbivorous or omnivorous.

Flesh-eating animals like snakes, lions etc are called secondary consumers as they eat primary consumers. 

There could be a third link of consumers in some food chains called Tertiary consumers. Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers. e.g. Eagle eats snake

Scavengers like hyena, vultures, crows etc feed on dead animals and they break down organic matter into smaller pieces. 

Decomposers like bacteria, fungi, mushrooms, termites etc feed on organic matter and break them further. Nutrients are returned to the soil to be again used by plants. A food chain ends with a decomposer.

Food web

A network of interconnected food chains is called food web.

 Recommended watch

 Useful free youtube videos 

Get me the extra edge for Olympiads Exams