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As you might already know, the sun is the primary source of energy for all living things on Earth.
The energy from the sun must be absorbed by other organisms and move through the energy
pyramid to get to you, and only then is it available in a form that your body can use. The energy
we get from food also depends a lot on where it sits in the energy pyramid. That's because the
higher up the pyramid we move, the less energy it contains. The energy filters out as it passes
from organism to organism.
An energy pyramid is a model that
shows the flow of energy from one
level (also called trophic levels) to the
next along a food chain.
Every level comes from the largest to
the smallest (as you can see in a shape
of a pyramid). Every level receives
only the 10% of energy from the level
below, since energy is lost through heat
and the life style of the organism.

LEVELS:
1. The base of the pyramid (the
largest) contains producers. They
receive the 100% amount of energy. This is because they receive the energy directly from the
sun. Producers use up some energy to make their own food so, some energy is lost. They
transfer only 10% of the energy they received.

2. All other organisms in the pyramid are consumers. The consumers at each level feed on
organisms from the level below and are themselves consumed by organisms at the level above.
Every level receiving the 10% of the energy they received.
3. The levels are: primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, and even
quaternary consumer (this last level is also called Top consumer or Apex predator). The levels
of the pyramid will depend on how long the food chain is.

Most of the food energy that enters a trophic level is “lost” as heat when it is used by organisms to
power the normal activities of life. Therefore, the higher the trophic level on the pyramid, the
lower the amount of available energy.

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