Energy in Food

Learning Objectives

By the end of the unit, you will understand that producers absorb sunlight energy and convert it into food through photosynthesis. Additionally, you will recognize the significance of consumers, including humans, who obtain energy by consuming producers or other consumers.

A colorful bird holds a bee in its beak.

This bird eats insects to get the energy it needs.

© Luca Nichett—EyeEm/Getty Images

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you will learn that plants and some other organisms, known as producers, absorb the energy released by the Sun and use it to make their food. Other organisms, known as consumers, get the energy they need by eating producers or other consumers. All living things, including humans, need energy in food for growth, survival, and physical and mental activity.

A close-up of the leaves on a branch of a maple tree.

Plants use energy from the Sun to change water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air into sugars and oxygen.

© Ludmila Oleynik—EyeEm/Getty Images

Key Concepts

1. The Sun is super important for all living things because it gives us the energy to live, grow, and do all sorts of fun activities.

2. Plants have a neat trick! They use sunlight to make their food, a process we call photosynthesis. It's like they have their little kitchen inside them where they cook their food using sunlight!

3. Animals get their energy by eating plants or other animals. It's like passing along a baton in a relay race, but with energy! This shows us how energy moves from one living thing to another, helping everyone survive and do what they need or want.

A diagram labeled Grassland Food Chain with arrows connecting photos of grass, a grasshopper, and a coyote.

In this simple food chain, a grasshopper eats grass, and a coyote eats the grasshopper.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Background

Today you will dive into the fascinating world of energy and how it relates to living organisms. You will explore how plants and certain other organisms, called producers, harness the Sun's incredible power to create their food. You will also uncover the vital roles consumers plays, organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Let's start with producers. These remarkable organisms, such as plants, possess a unique ability to absorb the energy released by the Sun through photosynthesis. As humans rely on food for energy, producers use this captured sunlight to make food. They use a green pigment called chlorophyll in their leaves to convert light energy into chemical energy stored in a glucose molecule. This process sustains the plants themselves and plays a critical role in supporting life on our planet.

Moving on to consumers, we discover a diverse range of organisms that depend on producers or other consumers for their energy needs. Consumers come in various forms, from herbivores that eat plants to carnivores that feast on other animals. There are also omnivores, which have a mixed diet of plants and animals. Consumers obtain energy by consuming other living things regardless of their specific dietary preferences.

You may be wondering why energy is essential to all living organisms, including humans. Well, the energy we derive from food is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it fuels our growth, ensuring that we develop from infants into adults. Secondly, it is vital for our survival, enabling our bodies to carry out essential functions like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining body temperature. Lastly, the energy obtained from food powers our physical activities, such as running, jumping, and playing, as well as our mental activities, including thinking, learning, and solving problems.

In summary, this unit will teach you that plants and other producers capture energy from the Sun to make their food. At the same time, consumers obtain energy by consuming producers or other consumers. Energy from food is indispensable for the growth, survival, and physical and mental activities of all living things, including us humans. As you delve deeper into the world of science, you will continue to explore the wonders of energy and its fundamental role in sustaining life on Earth.

A koala on a eucalyptus tree branch eats leaves.

Animals like this koala use the energy and matter in their food to keep living.

Expedition Learn

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