Self-Instruct
A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms that shows how energy is transferred from one organism to another. A food web is a more complex network of interconnected food chains, showing how different species are connected through the transfer of energy.
In a food chain, energy is transferred from one organism to another in a single direction. For example, in a simple food chain, a grasshopper eats grass, a bird eats the grasshopper, and a fox eats the bird. This is a linear transfer of energy, with the grass being the primary source of energy.
In contrast, a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains. It shows how different species are connected through the transfer of energy. For example, in a simple food web, the grass is eaten by a grasshopper, which is then eaten by a bird, which is then eaten by a fox. But the same grass could also be eaten by a mouse, which is then eaten by a snake, which is then eaten by an eagle. The same energy is being transferred from the grass to the eagle, but it is taking a different path.
In summary, a food chain is a linear sequence of organisms that shows how energy is transferred from one organism to another, while a food web is a more complex network of interconnected food chains that shows how different species are connected through the transfer of energy.