Energy - SS1 Biology Lesson Note

In an ecosystem, energy plays a crucial role in sustaining life and driving ecological processes. The primary source of energy in most ecosystems is the sun. Through the process of photosynthesis, green plants and other autotrophic organisms convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of organic compounds, such as glucose. This process allows them to store and capture energy from sunlight.

The energy captured by primary producers (autotrophs) is then transferred through the ecosystem in a series of trophic levels. Herbivores, or primary consumers, consume the primary producers, gaining energy from the stored organic compounds. The energy is further transferred when secondary consumers (carnivores) feed on the primary consumers, and so on.