Which of the following best describes the transfer of chemical energy up the food pyramid? A. Organisms use chemical energy at each level of the food pyramid, leading to a reduction in energy as it moves up. B. Organisms produce chemical energy at each level of the food pyramid, resulting in an increase in energy as it moves up. C. Organisms do not need chemical energy in the food pyramid, leading to equal amounts of energy at all levels. D. Producers use chemical energy, while consumers create it, causing fluctuations in energy levels throughout the food pyramid.
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The best description of the transfer of chemical energy up the food pyramid is: A. Organisms use chemical energy at each level of the food pyramid, leading to a reduction in energy as it moves up.
- This concept is known as the 10% rule or ecological pyramid of energy. As energy is transferred from one trophic level (such as producers or plants) to another (consumers or herbivores, then carnivores), energy is lost as heat and used for the organism's metabolism. Consequently, only about 10% of the energy is passed on to the next trophic level, leading to a decrease in available energy as it moves up the food chain or pyramid.