Food Chains

What is a Food Chain?

A food chain is made up of many different types animals and insects in the animal kingdom. There are decomposers, producers, consumers, scavengers, and parasites. Some break down the food, some make the food, some eat the food, and some hunt for their food. And in every food chain, there are different symbiotic relationships. 
Picture

Symbiosis in Food Chains

There are so many different relationships involved with food chains. A matter a fact, all of them are involved. Mutualism is used when humans breathe. We breathe out carbon dioxide, the plants take it in for themselves, the plants take out oxygen, and humans breathe it in to live. Commensalism is used when producers use the resources made by decomposers. The producer benefits by the resources used, while the decomposer is unaffected. Parasitism is used when consumers eat the producers. Consumer benefits by eating, while the producer is harmed because it is killed. Amensalism is used when insects are killed by humans because of  when we walk on the sidewalk we accidentally step and kill insects. Competition is used when two animals are fighting against each other in battle. Both animals are harmed from the fight.

Decomposers

Picture
Bacteria: Form of Decomposer
Decomposers are mostly fungi and bacteria. They are used for breaking down dead animals into reusable resources for later on. The resources on later used  by the producers to make food . Which will later on be eaten by the consumers.

Producers

Picture
Plants: Form of a Producer
Of all the world's producers, the number one producers would be the plants. Plants make their very own food though a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process that plants use to harness the Sun's rays. Producers are the biggest part of the food chain and are always at the bottom.

Consumers

Picture
Lioness: Form of a Secondary Consumer
Consumers are animals that eat other animals. They also can't produce their own food. Humans and many other animals are consumers. The consumers that eat the producers are called primary consumers, herbivores, or plant eaters. Secondary consumers are the consumers that eat the primary consumers, they are called carnivores or meat eaters. Humans are called omnivores because we eat both plants ad meat.

Scavengers

Picture
Jackal: Form of a Scavenger
Scavengers are the animals in the food chain that eat the carcasses of the dead bodies of animals. Some examples of a scavenger would be vultures, condors, dingos, crows, hyenas, and jackals.

Parasites

Picture
Mosquito: Form of a Parasite
Parasites are the insects that live off the energy the animal gives. Some examples of a parasite would be ticks, lice, mosquitoes, sandflies, roundworms, and tapeworms.