What the flow of energy through a simple food chain that ends with lion as final consumer?

In a simple food chain where the lion is the final consumer, the flow of energy begins with the sun. Plants, the producers in this food chain, convert sunlight into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. This energy is stored in the plants' tissues, which serve as food for the primary consumers, usually herbivores.

In this example, let's assume the primary consumer is a zebra. Zebras feed on grasses and other plant matter, obtaining energy from the plants they consume. As the zebras eat, they transfer some of the energy stored in the plants to their own bodies.

Lions, the secondary consumers, prey on zebras and other herbivores. When a lion hunts and successfully captures a zebra, it consumes the zebra's flesh. Through this process, the energy stored in the zebra's body is passed on to the lion.

As the lion digests the zebra's meat, it extracts nutrients and converts them into energy that fuels its body's activities, such as hunting, running, and maintaining body temperature. The lion may also store some of the energy as fat for future use.

Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, play a crucial role in this energy flow as well. After the lion consumes the zebra and leaves behind its remains, these decomposers break down the leftover organic matter, releasing the remaining energy back into the environment. This energy can then be utilized by plants, starting the cycle anew.

It is important to note that at each step in the food chain, some energy is lost as heat. This loss is because no organism is 100% efficient at converting all the energy it consumes into its own biomass. Therefore, the energy available at each level decreases as we move up the food chain, resulting in a pyramid-shaped energy structure.