Initial Source of Energy
- The sun is the initial (first) source of energy for most food chains
- Light energy from the sun is converted by producers into chemical energy stored in the tissues of plants during the process of photosynthesis
- Chemical energy stored in the tissues of plants passes to primary consumers when they ingest plants, and on to secondary consumers when the primary consumers are themselves ingested
- There are a few unusual exceptions, such as food chains located in deep sea volcanic vents that rely on bacteria gaining energy from chemical processes; these are chemoautotrophic bacteria